Preface

Abstract
The collection of papers in this volume is based on presentations made at the 10th International Conference on the Formation of Semiconductor Interfaces (ICFSI-10). The conference was held at the Université Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence, the home town of the famous painter, in southern France, from July 3 to 8, 2005. 2005 marked the 20th anniversary of the ICFSI series and was the World Year of Physics. Therefore, the ICFSI-10 program was organized within this framework. In this view, a special Plenary Lectures session addressed historical background, perspectives and frontiers in semiconductor surface, interface and nanostructures physics.

This ICFSI meeting, attended by more than 200 scientists from Europe, America and Asia has reviewed the latest developments and status on semiconductor surfaces, interfaces and nanostructures from several experimental and theoretical perspectives including nanostructure fabrication and characterization.

ICFSI-10 primarily focused on the following topics that are of strong current interest in semiconductor surface and interface science:

- Atomic structure and morphology

- Nanostructures

- Nanochemistry

- Elementary processes

- Electronic and optical properties

- Wide band gap, organic and magnetic semiconductors

- Metal-semiconductor and insulator-semiconductor interfaces

- Heterojunctions

- Passivation and metallization

- Oxides, nitrides and high-k dielectrics

- Advanced experimental techniques

- State-of-the-art theoretical approaches.

C. Girardeaux, B. Aufray, J. Bernardini, H. Dallaporta, G. Le Lay and P. Soukiassian (Guest Editors)