The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners. The book, first published in 2000, includes detailed theoretical studies of the nature of SiO2 and its interface with silicon, electron paramagnetic resonance for the study of defects, electron tunneling, and band alignment among others.

This book presents in summary the state of our knowledge of oxide reliability. The articles have been written by experts who are among the most knowledgeable in the field. The book will be an invaluable aid to reliability engineers and manufacturing engineers, helping them to produce and characterize reliable oxides. It can be used as an introduction for new engineers interested in oxide reliability, besides being a reference for engineers already engaged in the field.

The presentations from the symposium are grouped into the following topics: skutterudites, superlattice, new materials, quantum wires and dots, half-heusler alloys and quasicrystals, TE theory, thermionics, clathrates, and thin films TE. In addition, poster sessions include the following: semiconductors with tetrahedral anions as potential thermoelectric materials, lattice dynamics study of anisotropic heat conduction in supperlattices, structure and thermoelectric properties of new quaternary tin and lead Bismuth selenides, attributes of the Seebeck coefficient of Bismuth microwire array composites, and High-Z Lanthanum-Cerium Hexaborate thin films for low-temperature applications. c. Book News Inc.

The worldwide semiconductor community faces increasingly difficult challenges as it moves into the manufacturing of chips with feature sizes approaching 100 nm and beyond. The magnitude of these challenges demands special attention from the metrology and analytical measurements community. New paradigms must be found. Adequate research and development for new metrology concepts are urgently needed. Topics include: integrated circuit history, challenges and overviews, front end, lithography, interconnect and back end, and critical analytical techniques. Characterization and metrology are key enablers for developing new semiconductor technology and in improving manufacturing. This book summarizes major issues and gives critical reviews of important measurement techniques that are crucial to continue the advances in semiconductor technology. It covers major aspects of process technology and most characterization techniques for silicon research, including development, manufacturing, and diagnostics. The editors believe that this book of collected papers provides a concise and effective portrayal of industry characterization needs and the way they are being addressed by industry, academia, and government to continue the dramatic progress in semiconductor technology. Hopefully, it will also provide a basis for stimulating advances in metrology and new ideas for research and development.