The book describes the development of semiconductor manufacture on a worldwide basis, from its early beginnings to date.

Peter Robin Morris is now living in Malvern, having recently retired from Southampton Institute of Higher Education where he held the position of senior lecturer in the Department of Systems and Communications Engineering. Before this, he worked within the electronics industry as a semiconductor engineer, in both British and American firms.

After gaining a Diploma in Communications Engineering and Electronics at Southampton Institute, he obtained a BA degree from the Open University in History, and an MPhil from the University of Bath, where he currently holds a visiting research fellowship.

Mr Morris is a member of both the IET and the IEEE. He is at present engaged in research into the development of the semiconductor industry within the United Kingdom.

• Chapter 1: Introduction


• Chapter 2: Development of the thermionic valve


• Chapter 3: Historical survey of early research in semiconductors


• Chapter 4: Development of the transistor


• Chapter 5: Major technical processes used in semiconductor device fabrication


• Chapter 6: Review of major factors affecting the growth of the United States semiconductor industry


• Chapter 7: Review of the major factors affecting the growth of the Japanese and South Korean semiconductor industries


• Chapter 8: Review of the European semiconductor industry


• Chapter 9: Conclusions


• Appendix A: Glossary of commonly used terms in semiconductor technology


• Appendix B: Basic semiconductor junction theory


• Appendix C: Pattern of a typical semiconductor product cycle


• Appendix D: Characteristics and applications of gallium arsenide