Abstract:
Semiconductors were discovered in early 19th century, when a decrease in resistance with
increasing temperature was observed in certain materials [1]. Metal-semiconductor diodes and
junction diodes were studied in 1870s [2] and used widely in radio frequency receivers during
Second World War [3]. The first solid state transistors made of germanium was demonstrated by
Bell labs in 1947 [4]. These solid state devices were capable of replacing bulky vacuum tubes
with even better electrical characteristics. The potential of transistors in data storage and
processor applications attracted a large focus from scientific and industrial community. The
advances in semiconductor device technology, thus made over a period of time have brought a
major breakthrough in modern day technology and development. With the development of light
emitting diodes and photodetectors the possibility of optical data communication was realized [5],
which brought about revolution in the world of modern communication and paved the path for
further path breaking discoveries in the field.
