Thermodynamic concepts in semiconductor quantum dot technology

Major trends of the modern civilization are related to the changing of the industrial society into an information and knowledge-based society. This transformation is to a large extent based on the modern information and communication technology. The nobel prize-2000 in physics is a remarkable recognition of an extremely high significance of this kind of technology. The nobel prize has been awarded with one half jointly to Zhores I. Alferov and Herbert Kroemer for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed- and opto-electronics and one half to Jack St. Clair Kilby for this part in the invention of the integrated circuit. The development of the semiconductor heterostructures technology requires a profound understanding of the basic growth mechanisms involved in any technological process, including any type of epitaxy, either the liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), or the metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), or the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Starting from this pioneering works on semiconductor heterostructures till present time, Professor Zh. Alferov has always paid much attention to complex and comprehensive study of the subject. This covers the growth - as well as the post-growth technology including the theoretical modeling of the technology, the characterization of the heterostructures, and the device design. Such complex approach has master mined the scientific and technological success of Abraham loffe Institute in the area of semiconductor heterostructures, and later, nano structures. (Orig../A.B.)