This book is intended for readers desiring a comprehensive analysis of the latest developments in widegap II-VI materials research for opto-electronic applications and basic insight into the fundamental underlying principles. Therefore, it is hoped that this book will serve two purposes. Firstly, to educate newcomers to this exciting area of physics and technology and, secondly, to provide specialists with useful references and new insights in related areas of II-VI materials research. The motivation for preparing this book originated from the need for a current review of this fertile and important field. A primary goal of this book is therefore to present an eclectic synthesis of these sometimes diverse fields of investigation. This book consists of three main sections, namely (1) Growth and Properties, (2) Materials Characterization and (3) Devices. Part One presents an overall perspective of the state of the art in the preparation of the widegap II-VI materials. Part Two concentrates on current topics pertinent to the characterization of these materials from the unique perspective of each of the authors. Part Three focuses on advances in the opto-electronic applications of these materials. The material in this section runs the gamut from addressing recent advances in device areas which date back to some of the earliest reported research in these materials, to tackling some quite new and exciting future directions.
