Introduction

The goal of this chapter is to recapitulate some of the basic concepts in materials science and engineering as they relate to electronic, magnetic, and optical materials and devices. We will learn the different ways in which technologically useful electronic, magnetic, or optical materials are classified. We will examine the different ways in which the atoms or ions are arranged in these materials, the imperfections they contain, and the concept of the microstructure-property relationship. You may have studied some of these-and perhaps more advanced-concepts in an introductory course in materials science and engineering, physics, or chemistry.