Introduction To Semiconductor Physics

This well-established monograph, updated and now in its ninth edition, deals mainly with electron transport in, and optical properties of semiconductors. It includes lasers, e.g. the quantum cascade laser, quantum processes such as the quantum Hall effect, quantum dots, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, molecular electronics, the nitrides, and many other recent discoveries in the field. New diagrams and tables provide a comprehensive source of materials data. Selected problems help readers to consolidate their knowledge and invite teachers to use this text for graduate courses on semiconductor physics, solid state physics, and physical electronics.

This book covers the physics of semiconductors on an introductory level, assuming that the reader already has some knowledge of condensed matter physics. Crystal structure, band structure, carrier transport, phonons, scattering processes and optical properties are presented for typical semiconductors such as silicon, but III–V and II–VI compounds are also included. In view of the increasing importance of wide-gap semiconductors, the electronic and optical properties of these materials are dealt with too.

This text aims to provide the fundamentals necessary to understand semiconductor device characteristics, operations and limitations. Quantum mechanics and quantum theory are explored, and this background helps give students a deeper understanding of the essentials of physics and semiconductors.

The first edition of "Semiconductor Physics" was published in 1973 by Springer-Verlag Wien-New York as a paperback in the Springer Study Edition. In 1977, a Russian translation by Professor Yu. K. Pozhela and coworkers at Vilnius/USSR was published by Izdatelstvo "MIR", Mo scow. Since then new ideas have been developed in the field of semi conductors such as electron hole droplets, dangling bond saturation in amorphous silicon by hydrogen, or the determination of the fine struc ture constant from surface quantization in inversion layers. New tech niques such as molecular beam epitaxy which has made the realization of the Esaki superlattice possible, deep level transient spectroscopy, and refined a. c. Hall techniques have evolved. Now that the Viennese edition is about to go out of print, Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York is giving me the opportunity to include these new subjects in a monograph to appear in the Solid-State Sciences series. Again it has been the intention to cover the field of semiconductor physics comprehensively, although some chapters such as diffusion of hot carriers and their galvanomagnetic phenomena, as well as super conducting degenerate semiconductors and the appendices, had to go for commercial reasons. The emphasis is more on physics than on device as pects.

Introduction to Semiconductor Device Physics is a popular and established text that offers a thorough introduction to the underlying physics of semiconductor devices. It begins with a review of basic solid state physics, then goes on to describe the properties of semiconductors including energy bands, the concept of effective mass, carrier concentr

It is a pleasure to take the opportunity to express my sincere grati tude to many colleagues who provided valuable hints for improvements, even including lists of misprints (which I hope have now been complete ly eliminated). It is not possible to name all of them, and so I will only mention the interesting discussions over so many years I had with Pro fessor Hans W. Pötzl of the Technical University of Vienna on the oc casion of our common weekly semiconductor seminar. I am grateful to Professor H.-J. Queisser and Professor M. Cardona for helpful criticism. Special thanks are due to Frau Jitka Fucik for typing and Frau Viktoria Köver for drawing services. The cooperation with Dr. H.K. Lotsch of Springer-Verlag has been a pleasure. Vienna, January 1982 K. Seeger Contents 1. Elementary Properties of Semiconductors . . .. I 1.1 Insulator - Semiconductor - Semimetal - Metal 1 1.2 The Positive Hole ... 3 1.3 Conduction Processes, Compensation, Law ofMass Action 4 Problems . 8 2. Energy Band Structure . 10 2.1 Single and Periodically Repeated Potential Well 10 2.2 Energy Bands by Tight Binding ofElectrons to Atoms 17 2.3 The Brillouin Zone 21 2.4 Constant Energy Surfaces 30 Problems . 33 3. Semiconductor Statistics 34 3.1 Fermi Statistics ... 35 3.2 Occupation Probabilities ofImpurity Levels 39 Problems . 45 4. Charge and Energy Transport in a Nondegenerate Electron Gas.

This book will be useful to solid-state scientists, device engineers, and students involved in semiconductor design and technology. It provides a lucid account of band structure, density of states, charge transport, energy transport, and optical processes, along with a detailed description of many devices. It includes sections on superlattices and quantum well structures, the effects of deep-level impurities on transport, and the quantum Hall effect. This 8th edition has been revised and updated, including several new sections.

The 4th edition of this highly successful textbook features copious material for a complete upper-level undergraduate or graduate course, guiding readers to the point where they can choose a specialized topic and begin supervised research. The textbook provides an integrated approach beginning from the essential principles of solid-state and semiconductor physics to their use in various classic and modern semiconductor devices for applications in electronics and photonics. The text highlights many practical aspects of semiconductors: alloys, strain, heterostructures, nanostructures, amorphous semiconductors, and noise, which are essential aspects of modern semiconductor research but often omitted in other textbooks. This textbook also covers advanced topics, such as Bragg mirrors, resonators, polarized and magnetic semiconductors, nanowires, quantum dots, multi-junction solar cells, thin film transistors, and transparent conductive oxides. The 4th edition includes many updates and chapters on 2D materials and aspects of topology. The text derives explicit formulas for many results to facilitate a better understanding of the topics. Having evolved from a highly regarded two-semester course on the topic, The Physics of Semiconductors requires little or no prior knowledge of solid-state physics. More than 2100 references guide the reader to historic and current literature including original papers, review articles and topical books, providing a go-to point of reference for experienced researchers as well.