Lawrence M. Slifkin

Crystal defects can no longer be thought of as a scientific curiosity, but must be considered an important aspect of solid-state science. This is largely because many of the more interesting properties of crystalline solids are disproportionately dominated by effects due to a tiny concentration of imperfections in an otherwise perfect lattice. The physics of such lattice defects is not only of significance in a great variety of applications, but is also interesting in its own right. Thus, an extensive science of point defects and dislocations has been constructed during the past two and a half decades. Stimulated by the technological and scientific interest in plasticity, there have appeared in recent years rather a large number of books dealing with dislocations; in the case of point defects, however, only very few broad and extensive treatments have been published. Thus, there are few compre­ hensive, tutorial sources for the scientist or engineer whose research ac­ tivities are affected by point defect phenomena, or who might wish to enter the field. It is partially to fill this need that the present treatise aims.

Volume 1 of Point Defects in Solids has as its major emphasis defects in ionic solids. Volume 2 now extends this emphasis to semiconductors. The first four chapters treat in some detail the creation, kinetic behavior, inter­ actions, and physical properties of both simple and composite defects in a variety of semiconducting systems. Also included, as in Vol. 1, are chapters on special topics, namely phonon-defect interactions and defects in organic crystals. Defect behavior in semiconductors has been a subject of considerable interest since the discovery some twenty-five years ago that fast neutron irradiation profoundly affected the electrical characteristics of germanium and silicon. Present-day interest has been stimulated by such semiconductor applications as solar cell power plants for space stations and satellites and semiconductor particle and y-ray detectors, since in both radiation damage can cause serious deterioration. Of even greater practical concern is the need to understand particle damage in order to capitalize upon the develop­ ing technique of ion implantation as a means of device fabrication. Although the periodic international conferences on radiation effects in semiconductors have served the valuable function of summarizing the extensive work being done in this field, these proceedings are much too detailed and lack the background discussion needed to make them useful to the novice.