Rolf E. Hummel – författare

ties and applications of metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics, and electronic materials by means of easily understandable expla- tions and entertaining historical facts. It is also intended to raise the readers’ awareness of their obligations to society as pract- ing engineers and scientists. What has been changed compared to the first edition? Na- rally, there is always room for improvement. Accordingly, a large number of additions, corrections, and clarifications have been made on almost each page. Furthermore, the treatment of “hi- tech ceramics” has been substantially expanded (mostly at the suggestions of my colleagues) by including topics such as silicon nitride ceramics, transformation-toughened zirconia, alumina, ultra-hard ceramics, and bioceramics. A separate section on c- posite materials has been added, including fiber-reinforced composites, particular composites, and laminar composites. A section on advanced fabrics seemed to be of interest to the re- ers. Most of all, however, Chapter 18 (Economic and Envir- mental Considerations) has been rewritten and expanded in many places by updating the statistical information on prices of materials, production figures, world reserves, consumption (p- ticularly oil), recycling (particularly plastics, paper, household batteries, electronic scrap, automobiles), the possible use of “b- diesel” (rape plant oil), waste prevention, lead-free solder, energy savings through recycling, efficient design, and stability of - terials. The iron and steel production statistics were updated in Chapter 7, and new figures on gold production and consumption were included in Chapter 17.

ties and applications of metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics, and electronic materials by means of easily understandable expla- tions and entertaining historical facts. It is also intended to raise the readers’ awareness of their obligations to society as pract- ing engineers and scientists. What has been changed compared to the first edition? Na- rally, there is always room for improvement. Accordingly, a large number of additions, corrections, and clarifications have been made on almost each page. Furthermore, the treatment of “hi- tech ceramics” has been substantially expanded (mostly at the suggestions of my colleagues) by including topics such as silicon nitride ceramics, transformation-toughened zirconia, alumina, ultra-hard ceramics, and bioceramics. A separate section on c- posite materials has been added, including fiber-reinforced composites, particular composites, and laminar composites. A section on advanced fabrics seemed to be of interest to the re- ers. Most of all, however, Chapter 18 (Economic and Envir- mental Considerations) has been rewritten and expanded in many places by updating the statistical information on prices of materials, production figures, world reserves, consumption (p- ticularly oil), recycling (particularly plastics, paper, household batteries, electronic scrap, automobiles), the possible use of “b- diesel” (rape plant oil), waste prevention, lead-free solder, energy savings through recycling, efficient design, and stability of - terials. The iron and steel production statistics were updated in Chapter 7, and new figures on gold production and consumption were included in Chapter 17.

This text on the electrical, optical, magnetic, and thermal properties of materials stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism. Suitable for advanced undergraduates, it is intended for materials and electrical engineers who want to gain a fundamental understanding of alloys, semiconductor devices, lasers, magnetic materials, and so forth. The book is organized to be used in a one-semester course; to that end each section of applications, after the introduction to the fundamentals of electron theory, can be read independently of the others. Many examples from engineering practice serve to provide an understanding of common devices and methods. Among the modern applications covered are: high-temperature superconductors, optoelectronic materials, semiconductor device fabrication, xerography, magneto-optic memories, and amorphous ferromagnetics. The fourth edition has been revised and updated with an emphasis on the applications sections, which now cover devices of the next generation of electronics.

It is achallenging endeavor to trace the properties and the de­ velopment of materials in the light of the history of civilization. Materials such as metals, alloys, ceramics, glass, fibers, and so on have been used by mankind for millennia. Actually, materi­ als have shaped entire civilizations. They have been considered of such importance that historians and other scholars have named certain ancient periods after the material which was pre­ dominantly utilized at that respective time. Examples are the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. As time progressed the materials became increasingly sophisticated. Their proper­ ties were successively altered by man to suit ever-changing needs. We cannot but regard with utmost respect the accomplishments of men and women who lived millennia ago and who were ca­ pable of smelting, shaping, and improving the properties of ma­ terials. Typical courses on world history expose students mainly to the description of major wars, the time span important rulers have reigned, and to the formation, expansion and downfall of world empires. Very little is generally said about the people who lived and toiled in ancient times and about the evolution of civiliza­ tions. This book traces the utilization, properties, and produc­ tion techniques of materials from the Stone Age via the Bronze Age and the Iron Age up to modern times.

This text on the electrical, optical, magnetic, and thermal properties of materials stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism. Suitable for advanced undergraduates, it is intended for materials and electrical engineers who want to gain a fundamental understanding of alloys, semiconductor devices, lasers, magnetic materials, and so forth. The book is organized to be used in a one-semester course; to that end each section of applications, after the introduction to the fundamentals of electron theory, can be read independently of the others. Many examples from engineering practice serve to provide an understanding of common devices and methods. Among the modern applications covered are: high-temperature superconductors, optoelectronic materials, semiconductor device fabrication, xerography, magneto-optic memories, and amorphous ferromagnetics. The fourth edition has been revised and updated with an emphasis on the applications sections, which now cover devices of the next generation of electronics.

Books are seldom finished. At best, they are abandoned. The second edition of "Electronic Properties of Materials" has been in use now for about seven years. During this time my publisher gave me ample opportunities to update and improve the text whenever the Ibook was reprinted. There were about six of these reprinting cycles. Eventually, however, it became clear that substantially more new material had to be added to account for the stormy developments which occurred in the field of electrical, optical, and magnetic materials. In particular, expanded sections on flat-panel displays (liquid crystals, electroluminescence devices, field emission displays, and plasma dis. :­ plays) were added. Further, the recent developments in blue- and green­ emitting LED''s and in photonics are included. Magnetic storage devices also underwent rapid development. Thus, magneto-optical memories, magneto­ resistance devices, and new'' magnetic materials needed to be covered. The sections on dielectric properties, ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, electrostric­ tion, and thermoelectric properties have been expanded. Of course, the entire text was critically reviewed, updated, and improved. However, the most extensive change I undertook was the conversion of all equations to SI­ units throughout. In most of the world and in virtually all of the interna­ tional scientific journals use of this system of units is required. If today''s students do not learn to utilize it, another generation is "lost" on this matter. In other words, it is important that students become comfortable with SI units.

The present book on electrical, optical, magnetic and thermal properties of materials is in many aspects different from other introductory texts in solid state physics. First of all, this book is written for engineers, particularly materials and electrical engineers who want to gain a fundamental under­ standing of semiconductor devices, magnetic materials, lasers, alloys, etc. Second, it stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism, which should make the presentation relatively easy to understand. Thus, this book provides a thorough preparation for advanced texts, monographs, or special­ ized journal articles. Third, this book is not an encyclopedia. The selection oftopics is restricted to material which is considered to be essential and which can be covered in a 15-week semester course. For those professors who want to teach a two-semester course, supplemental topics can be found which deepen the understanding. (These sections are marked by an asterisk [*]. ) Fourth, the present text leaves the teaching of crystallography, X-ray diffrac­ tion, diffusion, lattice defects, etc. , to those courses which specialize in these subjects. As a rule, engineering students learn this material at the beginning of their upper division curriculum. The reader is, however, reminded of some of these topics whenever the need arises. Fifth, this book is distinctly divided into five self-contained parts which may be read independently.

It is quite satisfying for an author to learn that his brainchild has been favorably accepted by students as well as by professors and thus seems to serve some useful purpose. This horizontally integrated text on the electronic properties of metals, alloys, semiconductors, insulators, ceramics, and poly­ meric materials has been adopted by many universities in the United States as well as abroad, probably because of the relative ease with which the material can be understood. The book has now gone through several re­ printing cycles (among them a few pirate prints in Asian countries). I am grateful to all readers for their acceptance and for the many encouraging comments which have been received. I have thought very carefully about possible changes for the second edition. There is, of course, always room for improvement. Thus, some rewording, deletions, and additions have been made here and there. I withstood, how­ ever, the temptation to expand considerably the book by adding completely new subjects. Nevertheless, a few pages on recent developments needed to be inserted. Among them are, naturally, the discussion of ceramic (high-tempera­ ture) superconductors, and certain elements of the rapidly expanding field of optoelectronics. Further, I felt that the readers might be interested in learning some more practical applications which result from the physical concepts which have been treated here.