Bonds and Bands in Semiconductors

Bonds and Bands in Semiconductors deals with bonds and bands in semiconductors and covers a wide range of topics, from crystal structures and covalent and ionic bonds to elastic and piezoelectric constants. Lattice vibrations, energy bands, and the thermochemistry of semiconductors are also discussed, along with impurities and fundamental optical spectra. Comprised of 10 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the crystal structures of the more common and more useful semiconductors, together with bonding definitions and rules; bond energy gaps and band energy gaps; tetrahedral coordination; and bond lengths and radii. The discussion then turns to the effects of covalent and ionic bonds on crystal structures and cohesive energies of semiconductors, paying particular attention to the electronic configurations of atoms, ionicity, and homopolar energy gaps. Subsequent chapters introduce the reader to elastic and piezoelectric constants as well as lattice vibrations, energy bands, impurities, and fundamental optical spectra. The book also examines the thermochemistry of semiconductors before concluding with a concise qualitative description of barriers, junctions, and devices, with emphasis on the physical and chemical principles behind their operation. This monograph will be of interest to physicists, chemists, and materials scientists.