A recent paper by C. H. Belgacem deserves mention, as a good illustration of how to use the Lambert W function to explicitly solve a problem in semiconductor design. Previous methods required iterative solution of a design equation. That can be time-consuming and also has the disadvantage that there is no analytic formula for the solution of the design equation.
The paper is “Explicit Solution for Critical Thickness of Semicircular Misfit Dislocation Loops in Strained Semiconductor Heterostructures”, by Chokri Hadj Belgacem, published online 01-March-2015 in the journal “Silicon”.
I am particularly appreciative of Belgacem’s paper because of his reference 15, to a paper by Willams in 2005. Williams paper was not previously familiar to me. It has some really stimulating ideas. I cannot usefully contribute to the discussions in Belgacem’s field of semiconductor design, but acknowledge his help in finding the discussions around the Williams paper. That relates to the task of finding exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation.
Best wishes,
Ken Roberts
11-Mar-2015
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