TABLE OF CONTENTS The electrical properties of solids allow their classification as conductors, insulators or semiconductors. The electrical properties of a solid are derived from the physical equations governing electrical charges through the interactions of protons and electrons in the solid. Solid materials come in three types of atomic ordering: amorphous, poly-crystalline and single crystal. Useful semiconductor properties are most often obtained from single crystal or polycrystalline solids, though amorphous Si is very important in solar cell applications and display technology. The energy states of many crystalline solids have been determined both theoretically and experimentally. These energy states, the crystalline analogues to energy levels in individual atoms, are commonly referred to as the band structure of the material. The details of the band structure of solids and its relation to the details of the crystalline lattice is the subject of solid state physics; we have listed both introductory [6] and advanced references [7]. In this section, some important semiconductor properties, concepts and equations will be introduced at a very basic level. The concepts chosen are those that will lead to a greater understanding of semiconductor contacts, the semiconductor surface, and devices such as the field effect transistor and the heterojunction bipolar transistor and issues related to their interaction with processing techniques. No attempt will be made to derive important equations and any attempt to explain these equations or certain physical concepts is only with the intent of later introducing related device concepts. A minimum of topics will be presented to...
