The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students in electrical engineering, applied physics, and materials science. In the , nearly 50% of the material was updated to reflect rapid advancements in the semiconductor industry. S.M. Sze also authored Semiconductor Devices: Physics and Technology , which serves as a closely related companion text focusing more on device operation than just fabrication.

Epitaxy involves growing a thin layer of single-crystal silicon onto a silicon substrate. Thermal oxidation forms high-quality silicon dioxide ( SiO2cap S i cap O sub 2

: Wafers are exposed to oxygen (dry oxidation) or steam (wet oxidation) at high temperatures ( 900∘C900 raised to the composed with power C 1200∘C1200 raised to the composed with power C

Beyond his technical inventions, Sze became one of the most influential academic writers in the history of electrical engineering. His seminal text, “Physics of Semiconductor Devices,” is consistently one of the most cited works in the field. In 1991, he received the prestigious IEEE J. J. Ebers Award for his fundamental and pioneering contributions to semiconductor devices. His passing in November 2023 marked the end of an era, but his vast body of work, including VLSI Technology , continues to educate and inspire new generations of engineers.