Semiconductor Surfaces And Interfaces

by Wolfgang Gräfe (Author)

by M. Parans Paranthaman (Editor), Winnie Wong-Ng (Editor), Raghu N Bhattacharya (Editor)
Provides a comprehensive introduction to solar PV cell materials
Reviews current and future status of solar cells with respect to cost and efficiency
Covers the full range of solar cell materials, from silicon and thin films to dye sensitized and organic solar cells
Offers an in-depth account of the semiconductor material strategies and directions for further research

This book describes analytical instruments widely used to characterize the nanostructured materials. It provides information about how to assess material quality, defects, the state of surfaces and interfaces, element distributions, strain, lattice distortion, and electro-optical properties of materials and devices. The information provided by this book can be used as a back-up for material processing, material design and debugging of device performance. The basic principles and methodology of each analysis technique is described in separate chapters, adding historic perspectives and recent developments. The data analysis, from simple to advanced level, is introduced by numerous examples, mostly taken from the authors' fields of research; semiconductor materials, metals and oxides.

This book emphasises both experimental and theoretical aspects of surface, interface and thin film physics. As in previous editions the preparation of surfaces and thin films, their atomic and morphological, their vibronic and electronic properties as well as fundamentals of adsorption are treated. Because of their importance in modern information technology and nanostructure physics particular emphasis is paid to electronic surface and interface states, semiconductor space charge layers and heterostructures as well as to superconductor/semiconductor interfaces and magnetic thin films. The latter topic was significantly extended in this new edition by more details about the giant magnetoresistance and a section about the spin-transfer torque mechanism including one new problem as exercise. Two new panels about Kerr-effect and spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy were added, too. Furthermore, the meanwhile important group III-nitride surfaces and high-k oxide/semiconductor interfaces are shortly discussed in this new 5th edition of the book.