Application of Synchrotron Radiation to the Atomic and Electronic Structure of Semiconductors

A brief review of the main experimental techniques exploiting synchrotron radiation in semiconductor physics is attempted. Topics emphasized include the study of surface and interface phenomena, such as surface structural properties (e.g. surface reconstruction) by X-ray diffraction, surface dynamical properties (e.g. adsorbate vibrational amplitudes) by the X-ray standing waves technique, etc. This review emphasizes brilliance (the phase-space density of photons) as the main figure of merit for many experimental techniques applicable to research in semiconductor physics. Examples of experiments made possible by the so-called "third generation", high-brilliance synchrotron sources are presented.