Preface xv 1 Semiconductors 1 Vinod Prasad, Poonam Silotia, and Varsha 1.1 Introduction to Semiconductors 1 1.1.1 Overview of Semiconductors: Intrinsic and Extrinsic 4 1.1.2 Band Structure and Energy Gap 6 1.1.2.

1 The Band Structure of Crystalline Solids: A Quantum Mechanical Perspective 6 1.1.2.2 Formation of Energy Bands and Bandgaps 6 1.1.2.3 The Role of the Bloch Wavefunction and Quantum Numbers 7 1.1.

3 Types of Carriers: Holes and Electrons 8 1.2 Mobility and Conductivity 11 1.2.1 Mobility () 11 1.2.2 Conductivity () 11 1.2.3 Drift and Diffusion of Charge Carriers 12 1.

2.3.1 Drift of Charge Carriers 12 1.2.3.2 Diffusion of Charge Carriers 13 1.2.4 Mathematical Relation for Mobility 13 1.

2.4.1 Comparison and Combined Effects 14 1.2.5 Factors Influencing Mobility and Conductivity 14 1.3 Density of States 16 1.3.1 Importance of DOS 16 1.

3.2 Applications of DOS 17 1.3.3 Concept and Derivation in Three-, Two-, and One-Dimensional Systems 17 1.3.3.1 Bulk Density of States (Three-Dimensional) 17 1.3.

3.2 Two-Dimensional Systems 19 1.3.3.3 One-Dimensional Systems 20 1.3.4 Implications for Electronic Properties 20 1.4 Electron and Hole Concentration in Doped Semiconductor 21 1.

4.1 Role of Doping in Conductivity Enhancement 23 1.5 Fermi Concepts 25 1.5.1 Definition and Significance of Fermi Level 25 1.5.2 Fermi Energy, Fermi Temperature, and Fermi Wavelength 26 1.5.

3 Fermi Surface and Its Role in Semiconductors 27 1.6 Electrical Properties 28 References 30 2 Dielectric Materials 33 Vikas N. Thakur, SK Cheralaahthan, Savita Sharma, and Atul Thakre 2.1 Fundamentals of Dielectrics, Polarization Mechanisms, Dielectric Constant and Loss Tangent, and Applications in Capacitors 33 2.1.1 Fundamentals of Dielectrics 33 2.1.2 Polarization Mechanisms 34 2.

1.3 Dielectric Constant and Loss Tangent 36 2.1.3.1 Dielectric Constant 36 2.1.3.2 Dielectric Loss Tangent 37 2.

1.4 Applications in Capacitors 37 2.2 Ferroelectric Materials, Structural Characteristics and Hysteresis Behavior, and Applications in Memory Devices and Sensors 38 2.2.1 Ferroelectric Materials 38 2.2.2 Structural Characteristics and Hysteresis Behavior 40 2.2.

2.1 Crystal Symmetry and Phase Transitions 40 2.2.2.2 Ferroelectric Structure 40 2.2.2.3 Ferroelectric Domains 41 2.

2.2.4 Hysteresis Behavior 41 2.2.3 Applications in Memory Devices and Sensors 42 2.3 Piezoelectric Materials, Principles and Properties of Piezoelectricity, Applications in Micro-positioners, Actuators, and Sonar Devices 43 2.3.1 Principles and Properties of Piezoelectricity 43 2.

3.1.1 Bimorph or Unimorph Cantilever 46 2.3.1.2 Unimorph Cantilever 46 2.3.1.

3 Piezoelectric Film Configuration 47 2.3.1.4 Piezoelectric Stack Configuration 48 2.3.2 Applications of Piezoelectric Materials 49 2.3.2.

1 Piezoelectric Acoustic Transducer 50 2.4 Pyroelectric Materials, Mechanisms of Pyroelectricity, Applications in Radiation Detectors, and Thermometry 52 2.4.1 Mechanisms of Pyroelectricity 52 2.4.2 Applications of Pyroelectric Materials 54 References 55 3 Magnetic Materials 61 Neha Chauhan, Savita Sharma, Jeevitesh K. Rajput, and Ravikant 3.1 Magnetic Classification 61 3.

1.1 Hysteresis Loop Characteristics 62 3.2 Applications of Magnetic Materials 63 3.2.1 Soft Magnetic Materials in Transformers and Inductors 63 3.2.2 Hard Magnetic Materials in Permanent Magnets and Storage Devices 66 3.3 Spintronics 67 3.

3.1 Fundamentals of Spin Transport and Magnetoresistance 67 3.4 Conclusion 68 References 69 4 Polymers 73 Savita Sharma, Ranjit Kumar, and Hitesh Borkar 4.1 Overview 73 4.2 Chemical Structure of Polymers 73 4.3 Components of Polymer Structure 74 4.4 Classification of Polymers 75 4.4.

1 Classification Based on Origin 75 4.4.2 Classification Based on Structural Arrangement 77 4.4.3 Classification Based on Polymerization Mechanism 77 4.5 Thermoplastic Versus Thermosetting Polymers 78 4.5.1 Processing and Manufacturing Techniques 78 4.

5.2 Mechanical Properties and Performance Characteristics 79 4.5.3 Thermal and Chemical Resistance 80 4.5.4 Applications in Industry 80 4.5.4.

1 Epoxy Resin as a Thermosetting Polymer 81 4.5.5 Environmental Impact and Sustainability Considerations 82 4.6 Properties of Specific Polymers 82 4.6.1 Polyethylene 82 4.6.2 Polyvinyl Chloride 83 4.

6.3 Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) 83 4.6.4 Polymethyl Methacrylate (Acrylic) 84 4.6.5 Polyester (PET, PBT) 84 4.6.6 Nylon (Polyamide--PA 6, PA 66) 85 4.

7 Conducting Polymers 86 4.7.1 Electrical Properties of Conducting Polymers 86 4.7.2 Doping Mechanism in Conducting Polymers 86 References 88 5 Liquid Crystals 95 Onkar Mangla 5.1 Introduction to Liquid Crystals 95 5.1.1 Classification: Thermotropic and Lyotropic Liquid Crystals 96 5.

1.1.1 Thermotropic Liquid Crystals 96 5.1.1.2 Lyotropic Liquid Crystals 98 5.1.2 Structural and Orientational Ordering 99 5.

1.2.1 Molecular Arrangement of Liquid Crystals 99 5.1.2.2 Types of Ordering in Liquid Crystals 100 5.2 Phases and Phase Transition 103 5.2.

1 Nematic, Smectic, and Cholesteric Phases 103 5.2.1.1 Nematic Phase 103 5.2.1.2 Smectic Phase 104 5.2.

1.3 Cholesteric Phase 105 5.2.2 Phase Transitions and Thermal Effects 106 5.2.2.1 Transition Between Phases 106 5.3 Optical Properties and Applications 110 5.

3.1 Anisotropy and Birefringence 111 5.3.1.1 Anisotropy in Liquid Crystals 111 5.3.1.2 Birefringence in Liquid Crystals 111 5.

3.1.3 Applications of Anisotropy and Birefringence in Liquid Crystals 112 5.3.2 Applications in Display Devices and Photonic Systems 112 5.3.2.1 Display Devices 112 5.

3.2.2 Advantages of Liquid Crystals in Display Devices 113 5.3.2.3 Photonic Systems 114 5.3.2.

4 Advantages of Liquid Crystals in Photonic Systems 117 References 117 6 Carbon-Based Materials 121 Aruna Sharma, Asha Kumawat, Anjali Yadav, Aprajita Gaur, Maanya Bhardwaj, and Rajesh Kumar Meena 6.1 Introduction 121 6.2 Structural Properties of Carbon Allotropes 122 6.3 Properties and Synthesis of Fullerenes (C60) 124 6.3.1 Buckminster Fullerene (C60) 124 6.3.2 Synthesis of Fullerenes 124 6.

3.3 Synthesis via Laser Vaporization of Carbon 124 6.3.4 Synthesis by Electric Arc Heating of Graphite 125 6.3.5 Synthesis by Resistive Arc Heating of Graphite 126 6.3.6 Synthesis by Laser Irradiation of Polycyclic Hydrocarbons 126 6.

3.7 By Vaporization of Carbon Source 126 6.4 Single-Walled and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes 126 6.4.1 Physico-chemical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes 127 6.4.2 Applications of Carbon Nanotubes 128 6.4.

2.1 Cancer Cell Identification 128 6.4.2.2 In Drug Delivery 128 6.4.2.3 Biosensors 128 6.

4.2.4 Electronics 128 6.4.2.5 In Hydrogen Storage 128 6.5 Graphene: Structure and Energy Band Diagram 128 6.6 Optical Properties of Carbon Materials 130 6.

7 Applications of Carbon Materials 130 6.7.1 Sensors 132 6.7.2 Energy Storage 133 6.7.3 Lithium Ion Battery 134 6.7.

4 Fuel Cells 134 6.7.5 Other Batteries 134 6.7.6 Supercapacitors 134 6.7.7 Modified Electrode Material 135 6.7.

8 Mechanical Reinforcements and Composites 135 6.8 Conclusion 136 References 136 7 Synthesis and Processing of Materials 141 Kaushlendra Prasad Singh and Shalini Kumari 7.1 Ceramic Materials 141 7.1.1 Synthesis of Ceramic Materials 141 7.1.2 Calcination and Its Role in Synthesis of Ceramics 144 7.1.

3 Sintering: Mechanisms and Techniques 147 7.1.4 Grain Boundaries and Their Impact on Material Properties 149 7.1.4.1 Understanding Grain Boundaries 149 7.1.5 Impact on Material Properties 151 7.

2 Crystals and Their Growth Techniques 153 7.2.1 Importance of Single Crystals 153 7.2.2 Various Crystal Growth Techniques 154 7.2.2.1 Floating Zone and Czochralski Methods 155 7.

2.3 Floating Zone Method 155 7.2.3.1 Zone Refining 156 7.2.4 Czochralski Method 158 7.3 Polymer Synthesis 160 7.

3.1 Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry 160 7.3.2 Polymerization Mechanisms: Addition Polymerization 162 7.3.3 Polymerization Mechanisms: Condensation Polymerization 163 7.4 Conclusions 165 References 166 8 Synthesis of Thin Films 169 Manisha Tyagi and Biplob Barman 8.1 Introduction 169 8.

2 Thin Films Explained 169 8.3 Key Properties of Thin Films 170 8.4 Where Do Vacuum Systems Fit In 171 8.4.1 Importance of Vacuum 171 8.4.2 Types of Vacuum Systems 171 8.4.

3 Key Components of a Vacuum System 171 8.5 Thin-Film Deposition Techniques 172 8.5.1 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) 172 8.5.2 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) 172 8.5.3 Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) 173 8.

5.4 Other Deposition Methods 173 8.6 Factors Influencing Thin-Film Quality 173 8.6.1 Deposition Rate 173 8.6.2 Substrate Te.