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.