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Conductors, Semiconductors, Superconductors: An Introduction to Solid State Physics Rudolf P. Huebener

Springer, 2014 215 pages, $59.99 ISBN 978-3319091402

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2015

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MRS Bulletin , Volume 40 , Issue 3: Materials challenges in 3D IC technology , March 2015 , pp. 291
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Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

This is an excellent book for beginners in the field of solid-state physics, written for bachelor-level students in various disciplines such as physics, materials sciences, and chemistry. The most attractive aspect of this book is the descriptions of major scientists and their history, which will motivate beginners in the fields of science and engineering.

Along with the fundamentals of crystallography, the electrical and magnetic properties of materials are discussed very well in a total of 12 chapters. The first chapter talks about the discoveries and functionalities of modern analytical tools. The second and third chapters deal with the fundamentals of crystal structure, diffraction theory, and the types of bonding between the atoms/molecules and the crystal properties originating from lattice vibrations. In the fourth chapter, a quantum mechanical approach is employed to describe the difference between insulators, semiconductors, and conductors. The roles of the Fermi surface and momentum space in electronic properties of materials are presented in the fifth chapter. Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors and their applications are well discussed with the band model in the sixth chapter. Electronic motion in a magnetic field and related experiments are described in the seventh chapter. The eighth and ninth chapters contain the fundamentals of superconductivity and the invention of high-temperature superconductivity with beautiful images and explanations. The tenth chapter explains different types of magnetism and magnetic materials along with their applications. The most advanced achievements and recent topics in nanotechnology, such as topological insulators, are discussed in the last chapter to give a brief introduction to contemporary research fields.

Fundamentals of solid-state physics along with the most recent discoveries and research topics are very well written in this book. A few notations used in the equations have a slightly different approach compared to the usual way of writing them. Learning science along with the history about the scientists and their groundbreaking discoveries will make a positive impact on bachelor students’ perceptions toward the research field.

Reviewer: K. Kamala Bharathiof the National Institute of Standards and Technology/University of Maryland, Gaithersburg, Md., USA.