Imperfections in Nearly Perfect Crystals.

First edition, and a lovely copy in uncommonly fresh condition, of this significant collection of papers on semiconductors published early in the development of Silicon Valley as America's technology capital.

Semiconductors, such as those made of silicon, are materials whose conductivity can be adjusted by adding impurities, and which can therefore function as electrical junctions when impurities are present at different ratios within same the same crystal. These sixteen papers on the topic were presented at a conference organised by William Shockley (1910-1989) who, together with John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for work on semiconductors and development of the transistor.

First edition, first printing; 8vo; illustrations within the text, contents clean; original blue cloth, titles to spine and upper board in silver, just a small bump at the tail of the spine and a little light rubbing at the edges, otherwise the cloth fresh, an excellent copy; 490pp.