Book excerpt: A thorough introduction to fundamental principles andapplications From its beginnings in metallurgy and ceramics, materials sciencenow encompasses such high- tech fields as microelectronics,polymers, biomaterials, and nanotechnology. Electronic MaterialsScience presents the fundamentals of the subject in a detailedfashion for a multidisciplinary audience. Offering a higher-leveltreatment than an undergraduate textbook provides, this textbenefits students and practitioners not only in electronics andoptical materials science, but also in additional cutting-edgefields like polymers and biomaterials. Readers with a basic understanding of physical chemistry or physicswill appreciate the text's sophisticated presentation of today'smaterials science. Instructive derivations of important formulae,usually omitted in an introductory text, are included here. Thisfeature offers a useful glimpse into the foundations of how thediscipline understands such topics as defects, phase equilibria,and mechanical properties. Additionally, concepts such asreciprocal space, electron energy band theory, and thermodynamicsenter the discussion earlier and in a more robust fashion than inother texts. Electronic Materials Science also features: * An orientation towards industry and academia drawn from theauthor's experience in both arenas * Information on applications in semiconductors, optoelectronics,photocells, and nanoelectronics * Problem sets and important references throughout * Flexibility for various pedagogical needs Treating the subject with more depth than any other introductorytext, Electronic Materials Science prepares graduate andupper-level undergraduate students for advanced topics in thediscipline and gives scientists in associated disciplines a clearreview of the field and its leading technologies.