Preface
Semiconductor electronics is commonplace in every household. Semiconductor devices have enabled
economically reasonable fiber-based optical communication, optical storage and high-frequency
amplification and have recently revolutionized photography, display technology and lighting. By now
solar energy harvesting with photovoltaics contributes a significant portion to the energy mix. Along
with these tremendous technological developments, semiconductors have changed the way we work,
communicate, entertain and think. The technological progress of semiconductor materials and devices
is evolving continuously with a large worldwide effort in human and monetary capital. For students,
semiconductors offer a rich and exciting field with a great tradition, offering diverse fundamental and
applied topics [1] and a bright future.
This book introduces students to semiconductor physics and semiconductor devices. It brings them
to the point where they can specialize and enter supervised laboratory research. It is based on the two
semester semiconductor physics course taught at Universität Leipzig in its Master of Science physics
curriculum. Since the book can be followed with little or no pre-existing knowledge in solid-state
physics and quantum mechanics, it is also suitable for undergraduate students. For the interested
reader many additional topics are included in the book that can be covered in subsequent, more
specialized courses. The material is selected to provide a balance between aspects of solid-state and
semiconductor physics, the concepts of various semiconductor devices and modern applications in
electronics and photonics.
The first semester contains the fundamentals of semiconductor physics (Part I, Chaps. 1–10) and
selected topics from Part II (Chaps. 11–20). Besides important aspects of solid-state physics such as
crystal structure, lattice vibrations and band structure, semiconductor specifics such as technologically
relevant materials and their properties, doping and electronic defects, recombination, surfaces, heteroand nanostructures are discussed. Semiconductors with electric polarization and magnetization are
introduced. The emphasis is put on inorganic semiconductors, but a brief introduction to organic
semiconductors is given in Chap. 18. Dielectric structures (Chap. 19) serve as mirrors, cavities and
microcavities and are a vital part of many semiconductor devices. Other sections give introductions to
2D materials (Chap. 13) and transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) (Chap. 20). The third part
(Part III—Chaps. 21–24) is dedicated to semiconductor applications and devices that are taught in the
second semester of the course. After a general and detailed discussion of various diode types and their
physical mechanisms, their applications in electrical circuits, photodetectors, solar cells,
light-emitting diodes and lasers are treated. Finally, bipolar and field-effect transistors including thin
film transistors are discussed.
In the present text of the fourth edition many passages have been revised and updated, e.g. lead
halide perovskites, dipole scattering, anisotropic dielectric function, valley polarization, Dember field,
new CMOS image sensors. A new chapter is devoted to 2D semiconductors and an appendix on
tight-binding theory has been added. The concept of topological properties now permeates the book;
it is introduced for mechanical vibrations in the diatomic linear chain model and appears in chapters
on band structure and photonic dielectric structures. Last but not least a few errors and misprints have
vii
Semiconductor electronics is commonplace in every household. Semiconductor devices have enabled
economically reasonable fiber-based optical communication, optical storage and high-frequency
amplification and have recently revolutionized photography, display technology and lighting. By now
solar energy harvesting with photovoltaics contributes a significant portion to the energy mix. Along
with these tremendous technological developments, semiconductors have changed the way we work,
communicate, entertain and think. The technological progress of semiconductor materials and devices
is evolving continuously with a large worldwide effort in human and monetary capital. For students,
semiconductors offer a rich and exciting field with a great tradition, offering diverse fundamental and
applied topics [1] and a bright future.
This book introduces students to semiconductor physics and semiconductor devices. It brings them
to the point where they can specialize and enter supervised laboratory research. It is based on the two
semester semiconductor physics course taught at Universität Leipzig in its Master of Science physics
curriculum. Since the book can be followed with little or no pre-existing knowledge in solid-state
physics and quantum mechanics, it is also suitable for undergraduate students. For the interested
reader many additional topics are included in the book that can be covered in subsequent, more
specialized courses. The material is selected to provide a balance between aspects of solid-state and
semiconductor physics, the concepts of various semiconductor devices and modern applications in
electronics and photonics.
The first semester contains the fundamentals of semiconductor physics (Part I, Chaps. 1–10) and
selected topics from Part II (Chaps. 11–20). Besides important aspects of solid-state physics such as
crystal structure, lattice vibrations and band structure, semiconductor specifics such as technologically
relevant materials and their properties, doping and electronic defects, recombination, surfaces, heteroand nanostructures are discussed. Semiconductors with electric polarization and magnetization are
introduced. The emphasis is put on inorganic semiconductors, but a brief introduction to organic
semiconductors is given in Chap. 18. Dielectric structures (Chap. 19) serve as mirrors, cavities and
microcavities and are a vital part of many semiconductor devices. Other sections give introductions to
2D materials (Chap. 13) and transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) (Chap. 20). The third part
(Part III—Chaps. 21–24) is dedicated to semiconductor applications and devices that are taught in the
second semester of the course. After a general and detailed discussion of various diode types and their
physical mechanisms, their applications in electrical circuits, photodetectors, solar cells,
light-emitting diodes and lasers are treated. Finally, bipolar and field-effect transistors including thin
film transistors are discussed.
In the present text of the fourth edition many passages have been revised and updated, e.g. lead
halide perovskites, dipole scattering, anisotropic dielectric function, valley polarization, Dember field,
new CMOS image sensors. A new chapter is devoted to 2D semiconductors and an appendix on
tight-binding theory has been added. The concept of topological properties now permeates the book;
it is introduced for mechanical vibrations in the diatomic linear chain model and appears in chapters
on band structure and photonic dielectric structures. Last but not least a few errors and misprints have
vii