Understanding Surface and Thin Film Science

This book is a conceptual overview of surface and thin film science, providing a basic and straightforward understanding of the most common ideas and methods used in these fields. Fundamental scientific ideas, deposition methods, and characterization methods are all examined. Relying on simple, conceptual models and figures, fundamental scientific ideas are introduced and then applied to surfaces and thin films in the first half of the book. Topics include vacuum and plasma environments, crystal structure, atomic motion, thermodynamics, electrical and magnetic properties, optical and thermal properties, and adsorbed atoms on surfaces. Common methods of gas-phase thin film deposition are then introduced, starting with an overview of the film growth process and then a discussion of both physical and chemical vapor deposition methods. This is followed by an overview of a wide range of characterization techniques including imaging, structural, chemical, electrical, magnetic, optical, thermal, and mechanical techniques. Thin film science is a natural extension of surface science, especially as applications involve thinner and thinner films; distinct from other literature in the field, this book combines the two topics in a single volume. Simple, conceptual models and figures are used, supported by some mathematical expressions, to convey key ideas to students as well as practicing engineers, scientists, and technicians.