Semiconducting Ore Minerals

Developments in Economic Geology, 4: Semiconducting Ore Minerals provides a comprehensive discussion of the semiconductor physics of ore minerals, which is a specialized field that is interdisciplinary to materials science and earth science. The book is organized into four parts. Part I deals with basic principles such as the electronic structure of solids; electrical conduction in semiconductors; and various crystal properties which, like conductivity, depend primarily upon the electronic structure. It also discusses theoretical and experimental investigations pertinent to complex electrical inhomogeneity. Part 2 examines the properties of elements such as bismuth, copper, and graphite. Part 3 deals with sulfides including arsenopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, chalcopyrite, covellite, molybdenite, pyrrhotite, and sphalerite. Part 4 covers oxides, including cassiterite, cuprite, hematite, magnetite, pyrolusite, and rutile. This book may be a useful reference for those involved with research on ore minerals, including geophysicists, geochemists, or extractive metallurgists.