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Conceptual progress for explaining and predicting semiconductor properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2011

Marvin L. Cohen
Marvin L. Cohen*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94611; and Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

After some background discussion, this review will focus on some recent developments in the areas of theoretical studies of semiconductor electronic structure, photovoltaics, semiconducting boron nitride nanotubes, and the search for modified semiconductors and insulators with higher superconducting transition temperatures. The background discussion covers the evolution of studies of solids, which changed dramatically after the development of quantum theory. These conceptual changes resulted in methods for calculating properties of materials and theoretical frameworks for interpreting experimental measurements. In some cases, the theoretical approaches have been successful in predicting new materials and new properties. As stated above, a few examples will be given to illustrate the development of this field.

Keywords

Electronic structureSemiconductingPhotovoltaic
Type
Review
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 22 , 28 November 2011 , pp. 2815 - 2825
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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