Handbook of Advanced Plasma ProcessingTechniques has been written as a single introductory text forplasma processing engineers and researchers. Plasma processingis a rapidly mutating field, so up-to-date material is mostwelcome. The broad range of topics makes the book useful for companies trying to improve their products, in researchlaboratories where new techniques are sought, in technologicaluniversities, and every time researchers and developers wish tobroaden their knowledge of plasmas to lateral areas.After an introduction on the state of the art of plasma materialprocessing, the basic fundamentals of plasma physics arepresented in a direct, somewhat simplified, way. This may be useful for beginners, butthe expert reader may prefer something more challenging at thispoint. The chapter on modelling is divided into plasma modellingand reactor design. This second area is further dealt with in aseparate chapter. The overview of plasma diagnostic techniques,together with the references quoted therein, gives comprehensivecoverage of several diagnostics. Mass spectroscopy is dealt withseparately.In the latter two-thirds, the book is focused much more onprocesses. Dry etching, micromachining, PCVD, ion beam etchingand other processes are discussed with respect to many differentmaterials such as silicon, IIIV materials and magneticmaterials. Particular attention is given to damage and charging.The authors are expert and up to date. It is impossible to coverin a single volume all aspects of plasma processing, but it isreasonable to say that this book, together with all the materialreferenced within, aspires to this goal. Somewhat more Americanreferences, rather than European or Russian, are quoted; this isacceptable for the technological section, but rather incompletefor the sections on fundamental plasma physics and diagnostics.With contributions by several authors, some repetition isunavoidable; this may even help to ensure all chapters areself-consistent. In fact, like any handbook, it is designed moreto be consulted than to be read in full. Readers will appreciatethe effort of the authors of individual chapters in treating their own work topics andthose of the other authors in similar depth.Given the large amount of information provided, the book isreasonably good value for money.Dr B M Annaratone Max-Planck Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik D-85740 Garching