Perspectives on electronic and photonic materials

Abstract

Electronic and photonic materials have a tremendous impact on the modern world. They include a wide range of material classes and are developed through a deeply interdisciplinary combination of physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. In this introductory chapter, we give some perspectives on this exciting and ever-changing field. We give an example of the tremendous integration of different materials used in today’s consumer products, and then take a historical look at the development of some key semiconductor materials and devices from inception to today. Focusing in particular on the development of the transistor and integrated circuit and some of the key electronic and photonic applications of compound semiconductors, we take advantage of the long-distance view to point out some unifying themes across the wide portfolio of materials while appreciating their unique features.