Silicon Surfaces And Formation Of Interfaces: Basic Science In The Industrial World

Book excerpt: Silicon, the basic material for a multibillion-dollar industry, is the most widely researched and applied semiconductor, and its surfaces are the most thoroughly studied of all semiconductor surfaces. Silicon Surfaces and Formation of Interfaces may be used as an introduction to graduate-level physics and chemical physics. Moreover, it gives a specialized and comprehensive description of the most common faces of silicon crystals as well as their interaction with adsorbates and overlayers. This knowledge is presented in a systematic and easy-to-follow way. Discussion of each system is preceded by a brief overview which categorizes the features and physical mechanisms before the details are presented. The literature is easily available, and the references are numerous and organized in tables, allowing a search without the need to browse through the text.Though this volume focuses on a scientific understanding of physics on the atomistic and mesoscopic levels, it also highlights existing and potential links between basic research in surface science and applications in the silicon industry. It will be valuable to anyone writing a paper, thesis, or proposal in the field of silicon surfaces.