TABLE OF CONTENTS Semiconductor physics has a long and distinguished history. The early developments culminated in the invention of the transistor by Bardeen. Shockley, and Brattain in 1948. More recent work led to the discovery of the laser diode by three groups independently in 1962. Many prominent physicists have contributed to this fertile and exciting field. In the following short contributions some of the pioneers have recaptured the historic moments that have helped to shape semiconductor physics as we know it today. They are (in alphabetical order):
Emeritus Mary Amanda Wood Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Editor-in-chief of Solid State Communications 1969 1992; John Price Wetherill Medal, Franklin Institute 1979; Frank Isakson Prize, American Physical Society, 1986.
Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Oliver Buckley Prize, American Physical Society, 1979; Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize, American Physical Society, 1994.
President, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Japan. Nobel Prize in Physics, 1973.
Professor of Materials Science and Mineral Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award, 1986. Max Planck Research Award, 1994.
Professor of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Oliver Buckley Prize, American Physical Society, 1959; Wolf Prize in Physics, 1985.
Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Oliver Buckley Prize, American Physical Society, 1957; Oersted Medal, American Association of Physics Teachers, 1978.
Scientific Program Head, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley...
