This book emphasizes the use of four complex plane formalisms (impedance, admittance, complex capacitance, and modulus) in a simultaneous fashion. The purpose of employing these complex planes for handling semicircular relaxation using a single set of measured impedance data (ac small-signal electrical data) is highly underscored. The current literature demonstrates the importance of template version of impedance plot whereas this book reflects the advantage of using concurrent four complex plane plots for the same data. This approach allows extraction of a meaningful equivalent circuit model attributing to possible interpretations via potential polarizations and operative mechanisms for the investigated material system. Thus, this book supersedes the limitations of the impedance plot, and intends to serve a broader community of scientific and technical professionals better for their solid and liquid systems. This book addresses the following highlighted contents for the measured data but not limited to the: - (1) Lumped Parameter/Complex Plane Analysis (LP/CPA) in conjunction with the Bode plots; (2) Equivalent circuit model (ECM) derived from the LP/CPA; (3) Underlying Operative Mechanisms along with the possible interpretations; (4) Ideal (Debye) and non-ideal (non-Debye) relaxations; and (5) Data-Handling Criteria (DHC) using Complex Nonlinear Least Squares (CNLS) fitting procedures.

This book, first published in 2002, focuses on the application of electrical measurements as a nondestructive tool for microstructural characterization. Papers show how the usage of dc- and ac- resistivity measurements, complex impedance analysis, ellipsometry, and capacitance-voltage measurements are used to assess phase transformations, presence of grain boundary layers with different electrical response, anisotropy, mechanical degradation, and presence of defects and porosity in a wide range of materials and devices. The development of scanning impedance imaging by applying a lateral bias to an AFM specimen opens up many opportunities for simultaneous electrical property and microstructural data acquisition. This is the first time that impedance spectroscopy has been used to characterize metallic alloys in the metallic state, in the absence of liquid electrolytes. Papers focus on characterizing components in various microelectronic devices, with an emphasis on materials interpretation rather than device interpretation. The description of a new method of analysis for magnetic materials also deserves mention. Topics include: electrically inhomogeneous materials; advances in experimental methods and interpretation; microelectronic applications; metals and alloys and amorphous materials.