Abstract

Semiconductors are probably the most technologically important materials in widespread use today. The “information age” in which we now live is entirely dependent on the modern computer, which has at its heart a microprocessor constituted mainly of silicon (Si). Another example is the reading and recording of data onto CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays that rely on using light, in the form of laser emission, produced by the semiconductor compounds based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN), for example. These advances have undoubtedly had a huge impact on human society and are a testament to the power of scientific research.