Résumé
The Group III nitride semiconductors are promising materials for optoelectronic devices in the UV and visible spectral range as well as for high power–high frequency electronics. Further applications are still under development, including specific sensor devices. Overall, the subject is becoming more mature since it evolved in the mid-1990s.This symposium on ‘Group III Nitrides’ at the 2001 Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society in Strasbourg, France, enjoyed a truly international attendance. France, Germany, UK, and Spain were well represented, with smaller numbers of delegates from elsewhere in Europe, South Africa, USA, and the Far East. The number of accepted presentations reached 99 this year. In 12 oral sessions plus 2 poster sessions there was plenty of opportunity to discuss the important issues in the field. The purpose of the conference was to provide a forum for the entire subject, from growth, characterization to processing and devices of nitride material.This special issue of Materials Science and Engineering B brings together qualified papers that have been reviewed and evaluated keenly. In total there are 48 papers demonstrating the current and advanced achievement in nitride semiconductors.