This volume is part of a series that started in the Fall of 1990 with the goal of bringing together the surface science and materials science communities to discuss common issues in thin-film growth and epitaxy. The series has been successful–the large gap between the materials and surface communities that was apparent in 1990 certainly does not exist today. The series also strives to promote a closer connection between theory and experiment. The mix of theory and experimental papers contained in this volume is a measure of the success in reaching that goal. Interdisciplinary discussions of thin-film growth and process sciences in metals, semiconductors, oxides, and other materials and processes with overlapping intellectual concerns are featured.