Crystal Properties and Growth of Semiconductors

In studying solid state electronic devices we are interested primarily in the electrical behavior of solids. However, we shall see in later chapters that the transport of charge through a metal or a semiconductor depends not only on the properties of the electron but also on the arrangement of atoms in the solid. In the first chapter we shall discuss some of the physical properties of semiconductors compared with other solids, the atomic arrangements of various materials, and some methods of growing semiconductor crystals. Topics such as crystal structure and crystal growth technology are often the subjects of books rather than introductory chapters; thus we shall consider only a few of the more important and fundamental ideas that form the basis for understanding electronic properties of semiconductors and device fabrication.