Narrow gap semiconductors are the most important materials for the preparation of advanced modern infrared systems. They often operate at the extremes of the rules of semiconductor science. This book offers clear descriptions of crystal growth and the fundamental structure and properties of these unique materials. Topics covered include band structure, optical and transport properties, and lattice vibrations and spectra. A thorough treatment of the properties of low-dimensional systems and their relation to infrared applications is provided.

Narrow gap semiconductors obey the general rules of semiconductor science, but often exhibit extreme features of these rules because of the same properties that produce their narrow gaps. Consequently these materials provide sensitive tests of theory, and the opportunity for the design of innovative devices. Narrow gap semiconductors are the most important materials for the preparation of advanced modern infrared systems. Device Physics of Narrow Gap Semiconductors, a forthcoming second book, offers descriptions of the materials science and device physics of these unique materials. Topics covered include impurities and defects, recombination mechanisms, surface and interface properties, and the properties of low dimensional systems for infrared applications. This book will help readers to understand not only semiconductor physics and materials science, but also how they relate to advanced opto-electronic devices. The final chapter describes the device physics of photoconductive detectors, photovoltaic infrared detectors, super lattices and quantum wells, infrared lasers, and single photon infrared detectors.

Narrow gap semiconductors have provided an exciting field of research and show a number of extreme physical and material characteristics. They are the established material systems for infrared detectors and emitters, and with new developments in the technology these materials are emerging as a viable route to high speed, low power electronics. New kinds of narrow gap semiconductor, such as graphene and other composite nanocrystals, are also providing renewed interest in the underlying physics. The Thirteenth International Conference on Narrow Gap Semiconductors (NGS-13) was held at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK in July 2007. The conference brought together experts and young scientists to discuss the latest findings and developments in the field. This book contains the invited and contributed papers which were presented at this meeting and serves to provide a broad overview of the current worldwide activities in narrow gap semiconductor research. The subjects covered are theoretical and material physics of narrow gap semiconductors and quantum heterostructures, spin related phenomenon including carrier dynamics and magnetotransport, carbon nanotubes and graphene as novel narrow gap material, as well as device physics including transistors, mid and far-infrared lasers and detectors.

Organic semiconductors are a central topic of advanced materials research. The book is aiming at bridging the gap between the development and production of devices and basic research on thin film characterisation using cutting-edge techniques in surface and interface science. Topics involve organic molecular-based sensors; interfaces in organic diodes and transistors; mobility in organic field effect transistors and space charge problems; integration of optoelectronic nanostructures; nonlinear optical properties of organic nanostructures; the wetting layer problem; how to get from functionalized molecules to nanoaggregates; optical, electrical and mechanical properties of organic nanofibers as well; as near field investigations of organic thin films.

This book consists of contributions given in honor of Wolfgang J.R. Hoefer. Space and time discretizing time domain methods for electromagnetic full-wave simulation have emerged as key numerical methods in computational electromagnetics. Time domain methods are versatile and can be applied to the solution of a wide range of electromagnetic field problems. Computing the response of an electromagnetic structure to an impulsive excitation localized in space and time provides a comprehensive characterization of the electromagnetic properties of the structure in a wide frequency range. The most important methods are the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) and the Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) methods. The contributions represent the state of the art in dealing with time domain methods in modern engineering electrodynamics for electromagnetic modeling in general, the Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) method, the application of network concepts to electromagnetic field modeling, circuit and system applications and, finally, with broadband devices, systems and measurement techniques.

The development of solid state devices began a little more than a century ago, with the discovery of the electrical conductivity of ionic solids. Today, solid state technologies form the background of the society in which we live. The aim of this book is threefold: to present the background physical chemistry on which the technology of semiconductor devices is based; secondly, to describe specific issues such as the role of defects on the properties of solids, and the crucial influence of surface properties; and ultimately, to look at the physics and chemistry of semiconductor growth processes, both at the bulk and thin-film level, together with some issues relating to the properties of nano-devices. Divided into five chapters, it covers: Thermodynamics of solids, including phases and their properties and structural order Point defects in semiconductors Extended defects in semiconductors and their interactions with point defects and impurities Growth of semiconductor materials Physical chemistry of semiconductor materials processing With applications across all solid state technologies,the book is useful for advanced students and researchers in materials science, physics, chemistry, electrical and electronic engineering. It is also useful for those in the semiconductor industry.