Publisher's Synopsis
This textbook aims to outline all the key concepts concerning the description and applications of novel semiconductor microstructures such as quantum wells, superlattices and heterojunction microdevices in general (eg lasers, transistors, optical detectors and switches). It is designed to bridge the gap between the conventional courses in solid state physics and electronics, properties of materials and optoelectronics, and the current research publications on semiconductor microstructures.;Only a minimum background knowledge of solid state physics and quantum mechanics is assumed so that the book should be accessible to undergraduates and first year postgraduates in electronics, materials sciences and physics. It is also designed for those who wish to become familiar with the basic facts of this field and whose background is in another scientific subject. The descriptive passages can be read in most parts without the mathematics introduced in the first chapters of the book so that the text may also be suitable as a basis for a low level lecture course.
