Getting To Know Semiconductors

"This is an excellent book on semiconductor physics geared primarily toward young people, high school students, freshmen and possibly, sophomores ... Part II of the book deals with more advanced topics of semiconductor physics The authors discuss extrinsic conductivity, majority and minority carriers, mobility, diffusion and other notions required for the introduction to semiconductor physics. Once again, they do it with simplicity and elegance, using almost no equations. Their style is friendly, with a touch of humor, somewhat reminiscent of the famous Feynman Lectures on Physics." Michael Shur Am. J. Physics, 1993 "What this book does is present in a very clear way how semiconductors differ from other solids such as metals (conductors) and insulators (nonconductors) and how they came to be recognized as a separate class of materials. In fact, probably the best thing about Getting to Know Semiconductors is the historical section, sweeping from ancient Greece to the 1947 invention of the transistor (and exposing Russian contributions to the science of semiconductors more than is customary in the "West") ... But all in all, Getting to Know Semiconductors is a good little book that can bring you a solid understanding of the advances in semiconductor physics up to the middle of the 20th century. With that understanding you can perhaps look at today's efforts and appreciate the variety of talents required to keep semiconductors moving forward." John Worlock Physics Today, 1993 "... it is a book for the science section of the library." David Peet School Science Review, 1993

• Part 1 The history of electricity and semiconductors from ancient Greece up till the invention of the first transistor. Part 2 The main properties of semiconductors. Part 3 Simple semiconductor devices - thermoresistors, photoconductors; strain gauges, Hall sensors, Gunn devices.