Preface Thin-film science and technology play a crucial role in the high-tech industries that will bear the main burden of future American competitiveness, While the major exploitation of thin films has been in microelectronics, there are numerous and growing applications in communications, optical electronics coatings of all kinds, and in energy generation and conservation strategies. A great many sophisticated analytical instruments and techniques, largely devel- oped to characterize thin films and surfaces, have already become indispens- able in virtually every scientific endeavor irrespective of discipline. When I was called upon to offer a course on thin films, it became a genuine source of concern to me that there were no suitable textbooks available on this unques- tionably important topic. This book, written with a materials science flavor, is a response to this need. It is intended for Science and engineering students in advanced undergraduate or first-year graduate level courses on thin films 2. Participants in industrial in-house courses or short courses offered by professional societies 3. Mature scientists and engineers switching career directions who require overview of the field Readers should be reasonably conversant with introductory college chem istry and physics and possess a passive cultural familiarity with topics com- monly treated in undergraduate physical chemistry and modern physics courses xiii+ Preface Thin-film science and technology play a crucial role in the high-tech industries that will bear the main burden of future American competitiveness. While the major exploitation of thin films has been in microelectronics, there are numerous and growing applications in communications, optical electronics, coatings of all kinds, and in energy generation and conservation strategies. A great many sophisticated analytical instruments and techniques, largely devel￾oped to characterize thin films and surfaces, have already become indispens￾able in virtually every scientific endeavor irrespective of discipline. When I was called upon to offer a course on thin films, it became a genuine source of concern to me that there were no suitable textbooks available on this unques￾tionably important topic. This book, written with a materials science flavor, is a response to this need. It is intended for 1. 2. 3. Science and engineering students in advanced undergraduate or first-year graduate level courses on thin films Participants in industrial in-house courses or short courses offered by professional societies Mature scientists and engineers switching career directions who require an overview of the field. Readers should be reasonably conversant with introductory college chem￾istry and physics and possess a passive cultural familiarity with topics com￾monly treated in undergraduate physical chemistry and modem physics courses