Electronic Properties of Materials

This book on electrical, optical, magnetic and thermal properties of materials differs from other introductory texts in solid state physics. First, it is written for engineers, particularly materials and electrical engineers, who want to gain a fundamental understanding of semiconductor devices, magnetic materials, lasers, alloys, etc. Second, it stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism. Third, this book is not an encyclopedia: The topics are restricted to material which is considered to be essential and which can be covered in a 15-week semester course. The presentation is divided into five parts, of which the last four may be read independently. All are based on the first part, "Fundamentals of Electron Theory," in which the essential quantum mechanical concepts are introduced. Many practical applications are discussed to provide students with an understanding of electronic devices currently in use. This second edition has been revised and brought up to date throughout. There are new sections on high-temperature superconductors and on recent developments in optoelectronics. Material has been added on semiconductor device fabrication, field-effect transistors, quantum semiconductor devices, electrical memories, logic circuits, xerography, compact-disc players, optical computers, magnetic domains, magneto-optic memories, magnetic recording materials, and amorphous ferromagnetics. The solutions to the numerical problems are now contained in an appendix. Rolf E. Hummel is Professor of Materials Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He received his Ph.D. in 1963 from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and the Max-Planck-Institut for Materials Research, also in Stuttgart. His previous publications include the books Optical Properties of Metals and Alloys (1971) and Electro- and Thermo-transport in Metals and Alloys (1977).