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A materials science primer
BOOKS & MEDIA UPDATE
A materials science primer
Three-Dimensional X-ray Diffraction Microscopy Henning F. Poulsen
González-Viñas and Mancini have produced a helpful guide to materials science for those who want to familiarize themselves with the subject quickly, says Siegmar Roth. This book is a useful introduction to materials science. It is especially helpful for undergraduate students and other newcomers who want to become quickly informed about the basics of the field. It aims at a qualitative understanding rather than a rigid mathematical treatment. Readers can easily familiarize themselves with the principles of solid-state physics. The crystalline lattice is introduced and, using only a few lines, so is the reciprocal lattice (a hard task, but there is no easy way to cover the reciprocal lattice, no matter how many lines you use). Based on the concept of energy bands, the difference between metals and semiconductors is discussed, and semiconductor physics is elaborated so far that even p-n junctions, polar transistors, and field-effect transistors are presented. A short outline of X-ray diffraction is also given; just enough to catch the essentials. A chapter is devoted to imperfections and defects (point defects, excitons, and dislocations) and a very short chapter covers mechanical and thermal properties (including the introduction of phonons). In a concise and useful way (using only one diagram!), the most important parameters of elasticity are demonstrated. Magnetic, dielectric, and superconducting materials are treated somewhat more extensively. Not only the basics, but also high-temperature superconductors, the Josephson effect, and Josephson junctions are discussed. More space is used for optical materials (including solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and nonlinear optics) and for noncrystalline solids (glasses, glassy metals, amorphous semiconductors, and a surprisingly detailed section on quasicrystals). The chapter on polymers is the longest. This gives a very useful overview of the classification of polymers, chemical structures of common polymers, and the most important polymerization procedures. Order in chains, as well as molecular weight and methods of obtaining molecular distribution curves, are discussed. I find such diagrams as the phase diagram of oligomers and polymers of ethylene (showing the path from
64
December 2004
liquids over greases and waxes to soft and hard plastics) very instructive. There are several practical tables with material properties of polymers (glass temperature, melting temperature, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, etc.). These tables allow quick orientation for someone who has to use polymers and wants to know which class of polymers is worthwhile to inspect more closely. The book also contains a few pages on surface science and even fewer (six pages!) on ‘new materials’: fullerenes, liquid crystals, and biocompatible materials. Personally, I regret that there is not more space devoted to these exciting new materials and that they have not been used as an incentive to attract people to the topic. Actually, very little effort is made to ‘attract’ readers. There are no color figures or fancy photographs, and there is no speculation on spectacular futuristic applications. Anyone who has not yet decided to become a materials scientist will hardly be motivated to do so by the book, but those who want or have to learn the essentials of materials science, and have only a few days to devote to the task, will certainly benefit from scanning over the pages. They will manage this within a few days because the book does Wenceslao González-Viñas and Héctor L. Mancini
Springer (2004), 154 pp. ISBN: 3-540-22330-4 $149 / £88.50 / 114.95
Poulsen presents a comprehensive account of three-dimensional X-ray diffraction microscopy for the structural characterization of polycrystalline materials. This method allows the position, morphology, phase, strain, and orientation of hundreds of grains within a specimen to be determined. The dynamics of structural elements can be monitored during annealing or deformation processes.
Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics W. R. Fahrner (ed.) Springer (2005), 269 pp. ISBN: 3-540-22452-1 $79.95 / £54 / 69.95
Subtitled ‘Materials, Devices, and Measurement Techniques’, this is a concise overview of the state-of-theart in functional nanostructures. It covers the production and characterization of structures in the nanometer size range. Applications in electronics are covered alongside an evaluation of the future prospects of nanotechnology.
The Nano-Micro Interface: Bridging the Micro and Nano Worlds Hans-Jörg Fecht and Matthias Werner (eds.)
An Introduction to Materials Science Princeton University Press (2004), 200 pp., ISBN: 0-691-07097-0 $60.00 / £38.95
John Wiley & Sons (2004), 351 pp. ISBN: 3-527-30978-0 $135 / £70 / 105
not have more than 170 pages. But it does contain details on everything a material scientist has to know.
Micro- and nanotechnology merge where the top-down miniaturization of microelectronics meets the bottom-up assembly of nanostructures. Contributions to this volume discuss issues at the nanomicro interface including materials synthesis, fabrication technologies, characterization methods, electronic devices, and bio-interfaces.
I will pass the book to new members of my team and tell them to read it first before they pick up monographs from the library or download review articles from the Internet. They should read it to be in a position to ask questions at seminars and conferences. The price is perhaps too much to buy a personal copy for each team member but, if two or three copies float around in the coffee corner, the investment will not be wasted. Siegmar Roth is at the Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung in Stuttgart, Germany.
Expert Graduate Undergraduate
A materials science primer
Three-Dimensional X-ray Diffraction Microscopy Henning F. Poulsen
González-Viñas and Mancini have produced a helpful guide to materials science for those who want to familiarize themselves with the subject quickly, says Siegmar Roth. This book is a useful introduction to materials science. It is especially helpful for undergraduate students and other newcomers who want to become quickly informed about the basics of the field. It aims at a qualitative understanding rather than a rigid mathematical treatment. Readers can easily familiarize themselves with the principles of solid-state physics. The crystalline lattice is introduced and, using only a few lines, so is the reciprocal lattice (a hard task, but there is no easy way to cover the reciprocal lattice, no matter how many lines you use). Based on the concept of energy bands, the difference between metals and semiconductors is discussed, and semiconductor physics is elaborated so far that even p-n junctions, polar transistors, and field-effect transistors are presented. A short outline of X-ray diffraction is also given; just enough to catch the essentials. A chapter is devoted to imperfections and defects (point defects, excitons, and dislocations) and a very short chapter covers mechanical and thermal properties (including the introduction of phonons). In a concise and useful way (using only one diagram!), the most important parameters of elasticity are demonstrated. Magnetic, dielectric, and superconducting materials are treated somewhat more extensively. Not only the basics, but also high-temperature superconductors, the Josephson effect, and Josephson junctions are discussed. More space is used for optical materials (including solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and nonlinear optics) and for noncrystalline solids (glasses, glassy metals, amorphous semiconductors, and a surprisingly detailed section on quasicrystals). The chapter on polymers is the longest. This gives a very useful overview of the classification of polymers, chemical structures of common polymers, and the most important polymerization procedures. Order in chains, as well as molecular weight and methods of obtaining molecular distribution curves, are discussed. I find such diagrams as the phase diagram of oligomers and polymers of ethylene (showing the path from
64
December 2004
liquids over greases and waxes to soft and hard plastics) very instructive. There are several practical tables with material properties of polymers (glass temperature, melting temperature, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, etc.). These tables allow quick orientation for someone who has to use polymers and wants to know which class of polymers is worthwhile to inspect more closely. The book also contains a few pages on surface science and even fewer (six pages!) on ‘new materials’: fullerenes, liquid crystals, and biocompatible materials. Personally, I regret that there is not more space devoted to these exciting new materials and that they have not been used as an incentive to attract people to the topic. Actually, very little effort is made to ‘attract’ readers. There are no color figures or fancy photographs, and there is no speculation on spectacular futuristic applications. Anyone who has not yet decided to become a materials scientist will hardly be motivated to do so by the book, but those who want or have to learn the essentials of materials science, and have only a few days to devote to the task, will certainly benefit from scanning over the pages. They will manage this within a few days because the book does Wenceslao González-Viñas and Héctor L. Mancini
Springer (2004), 154 pp. ISBN: 3-540-22330-4 $149 / £88.50 / 114.95
Poulsen presents a comprehensive account of three-dimensional X-ray diffraction microscopy for the structural characterization of polycrystalline materials. This method allows the position, morphology, phase, strain, and orientation of hundreds of grains within a specimen to be determined. The dynamics of structural elements can be monitored during annealing or deformation processes.
Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics W. R. Fahrner (ed.) Springer (2005), 269 pp. ISBN: 3-540-22452-1 $79.95 / £54 / 69.95
Subtitled ‘Materials, Devices, and Measurement Techniques’, this is a concise overview of the state-of-theart in functional nanostructures. It covers the production and characterization of structures in the nanometer size range. Applications in electronics are covered alongside an evaluation of the future prospects of nanotechnology.
The Nano-Micro Interface: Bridging the Micro and Nano Worlds Hans-Jörg Fecht and Matthias Werner (eds.)
An Introduction to Materials Science Princeton University Press (2004), 200 pp., ISBN: 0-691-07097-0 $60.00 / £38.95
John Wiley & Sons (2004), 351 pp. ISBN: 3-527-30978-0 $135 / £70 / 105
not have more than 170 pages. But it does contain details on everything a material scientist has to know.
Micro- and nanotechnology merge where the top-down miniaturization of microelectronics meets the bottom-up assembly of nanostructures. Contributions to this volume discuss issues at the nanomicro interface including materials synthesis, fabrication technologies, characterization methods, electronic devices, and bio-interfaces.
I will pass the book to new members of my team and tell them to read it first before they pick up monographs from the library or download review articles from the Internet. They should read it to be in a position to ask questions at seminars and conferences. The price is perhaps too much to buy a personal copy for each team member but, if two or three copies float around in the coffee corner, the investment will not be wasted. Siegmar Roth is at the Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung in Stuttgart, Germany.
Expert Graduate Undergraduate