The mechanics of electronic materials

The primary engineering function of electronic materials is the control of electric charge for some useful purpose, rather than any mechanical load carrying function. However, mechanical stress and its consequences are central factors in the fabrication, performance and reliability of microelectronic devices, broadly a€ecting one of the largest industries in the world. Here, attention is focused on the role of stress in the fabrication of semiconductor heterostructures. Particular attention is devoted to strain relaxation by dislocation formation and interaction, stress- driven surface morphology evolution, and the in¯uence of strain on electronic transport characteristics in quantum structures relevant to the next generation of devices. #