Optical properties, particularly in the infrared range of wavelengths, continue to be of enormous interest to both material scientists and device engineers. The need for the development of standards for data of optical properties in the infrared range of wavelengths is very timely considering the on-going transition of nano-technology from fundamental R&D to manufacturing. Radiative properties play a critical role in the processing, process control and manufacturing of semiconductor materials, devices, circuits and systems. The design and implementation of real-time process control methods in manufacturing requires the knowledge of the radiative properties of materials. Sensors and imagers operate on the basis of the radiative properties of materials. This book reviews the optical properties of various semiconductors in the infrared range of wavelengths. Theoretical and experimental studies of the radiative properties of semiconductors are presented. Previous studies, potential applications and future developments are outlined. In Chapter 1, an introduction to the radiative properties is presented. Examples of instrumentation for measurements of the radiative properties is described in Chapter 2. In Chapters 3-11, case studies of the radiative properties of several semiconductors are elucidated. The modeling and applications of these properties are explained in Chapters 12 and 13, respectively. In Chapter 14, examples of the global infrastructure for these measurements are illustrated.
N M Ravindra (Ravi) is Professor of Physics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). He was the Chair of the Physics Department (2009-13) and Director, Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Science and Engineering at NJIT (2009-2016). Ravi is the Editor-in-Chief of Emerging Materials Research. He is Series Editor of Emerging Materials: Processing, Performance and Applications, Momentum Press. He has been a frequent Guest Editor of JEM, the Journal of Electronic Materials; JOM. He serves on the editorial board of several international journals and book series that are dedicated to materials science and engineering. Before joining NJIT in 1987, Ravi had been associated with Vanderbilt University, the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC), North Carolina State University, International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTPTrieste), Politecnico di Torino, CNRS associated labs in Paris and Montpellier. Ravi holds a PhD in Physics from Indian Institute of Technology (Roorkee, India), MS & BS in Physics from Bangalore University, India. Ravi and his research team have published over 300 papers in international journals, books and conference proceedings; his team has several pending and two issued patents; he has organized over 30 international conferences; and he has given over 75 talks in international meetings.
His research activities have been sponsored by agencies including the US Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), SEMATECH, Semiconductor Research Corporation, US Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE/NREL), US Department of Education, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), US Army Research Office, US Air Force of Scientific Research, New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and the National Science Foundation. Ravi's research interests include education, energy, health, materials, manufacturing and the Physics of Sports. He has been a frequent keynote speaker in several international conferences and has won several awards in the US and abroad. Ravi is the co-editor of Transient Thermal Processing Techniques in Electronic Materials (TMS - The Minerals, Metals, Materials Society, 1997); he is the co-author of Black Silicon: Processing, Properties and Applications (Momentum Press, 2016).
Sita Rajyalaxmi Marthi (Laxmi) received a BSc in Physics and MSc in Applied Physics from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, in 2006 and 2009, respectively. Laxmi is currently pursuing a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Her research interests are related to the optical properties of Black silicon, related materials and device structures. Laxmi is a co-author of Black Silicon: Processing, Properties and Applications (Momentum Press, 2016).
Asahel Banobre received his BS with Honors and MS in Applied Physics from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in 2003 and 2006, respectively. From 2005 to 2015, Asahel worked as a Test Engineer at Kulite Semiconductor Inc. where he contributed to the optimization and automation of device test procedures and the development of custom product prototypes. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at NJIT. His doctoral study focuses on the design, modeling, fabrication and characterization of uncooled infrared microbolometers. His research interests include semiconductors, MEMS integrated sensors and transducers such as pressure and temperature sensors, and infrared detectors.
