For Computer Science or Electrical Engineering Educators:

The Silicon Web is suitable for use as a primary text for lower-division students (computer science majors or otherwise) in courses such as:

Physics of Computer Components, or The Physical Layer in Computer Networks.

The course and book are for students who have basic preparation in high-school level science and math.

The text examines the basic physics underlying the design and to a lesser extent the manufacture of computer components. It introduces the electronic structure of the solid state, the nature of p-n junctions, and basic transistor design. It touches on elementary aspects of materials science and photolithography employed in microchip manufacture. The physics is kept at an elementary level, and the computer science is at a level that is accessible to any student. The text is the only conceptual-level text that treats semiconductor physics and devices in depth, along with their applications in electronic logic and optical communication technology, to my knowledge.

The course could be used as an introduction to these topics for CIS or EE students, or as a means to satisfy general science requirements.