Overview of diffraction methods applied to the analysis of the microstructure of materials. Since crystallite size and the presence of lattice defects have a decisive influence on the properties of many engineering materials, information about this microstructure is of vital importance in developing and assessing materials for practical applications. The most powerful and usually non-destructive evaluation techniques available are X-ray and neutron diffraction. The book details, among other things, diffraction-line broadening methods for determining crystallite size and atomic-scale strain...

Crystalline semiconductors in the form of thin films are crucial materials for many modern, advanced technologies in fields such as microelectronics, optoelectronics, display technology, and photovoltaic technology. Crystalline semiconductors can be produced at surprisingly low temperatures (as low as 120 C) by crystallization of amorphous semiconductors, which are put in contact with a metal. This so-called metal-induced crystallization process has attracted great scientific and technological interest because it allows the production of crystalline semiconductor-based advanced devices at...