This book addresses the importance of surface and stresses, particularly in the realm of decreasing structure size, where surface-to-volume ratio increases significantly. In these nanoscale systems, the surface properties and stresses become a critical issue when considering the resulting physical properties. The book also focuses on the use of novel experimental techniques capable of measuring these properties on a micron or submicron scale, including local stress mapping and localized surface chemistry determination. Topics include: the effects of strain on electronic and vibrational properties of semiconductor structures; nanostructure formation - growth and stress effects; fabricated nanostructures - stress effects; porous silicon - materials and optical properties; deposition and surface properties of semiconductor nanostructures; semiconductor interfaces; materials characterization - X-ray and strain measurements; materials characterization - surface passivation and structural defect studies; and metal, ceramic and polymer nanostructures.