This book presents innovative, cutting-edge techniques for microwave processing of semiconducting materials. Microwave processing is a rapid, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technique of sintering and calcining which can lead to a reduction of 86% in sintering time and energy saving of 96% in comparison to conventional sintering methods. This technique is capable of processing almost all types of inorganic/organic materials and is known to result in phase-transformations from polycrystalline to amorphous/nanocrystalline phases and alloy formation from elemental constituents in a very short time and different morphologies. In this book, the microwave processing of technologically-relevant materials from different important classes of materials is described in detail. The book also provides in-depth insight into interaction of microwaves with different type of materials with a special focus on semiconducting, glassy, and functionally graded materials. The book will serve as an introduction to this emerging technique of material processing for post-graduate students, researchers and industry professionals in materials science.

Autorentext

Charu Lata Dube is M.Tech. in Solid State Materials and Ph.D. in Physics from IIT Delhi. She completed her Ph.D. in collaboration with Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA. Dr. Dube represented IIT Delhi (as a contingent) under SAARC-IAESTE Japan internship program 2008 at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan. The internship was focused on synthesis of pig iron using microwave energy. She joined the Institute for Plasma Research Gandhinagar as visiting scientist. In 2015, she moved to the University of Sheffield as PDRA. There, she was involved in research and teaching Master's students. In 2017 she joined School of Nano Sciences, Central University of Gujarat as Assistant Professor. Presently, she is involved in the microwave assisted synthesis of materials ranging from metal to insulators. Several funding agencies such as DST-SERB, UGC-DAE have generously funded her research. Dr. Dube has nearly 20 years of experience in the area of Microwave processing of Materials and has published nearly 50 articles in the area.