Abstract

Modern epitaxial crystal growth techniques have made it possible to tailor compositionally modulated thin films on an atomic level. However, further progress in control of epitaxial growth is limited by a relative lack of useful in situ techniques for surface analysis during growth. The most widely used in situ structural analysis technique for molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth is reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Its long working distance and high data rate have prompted investigations of RHEED oscillations and other RHEED dynamic features by many groups. However, there is currently no widely employed in situ chemical analysis technique that has the advantages of RHEED[1]. Hence, for example, the ability to perform real-time control of alloy composition in epitaxial films is limited.

© 1991 Optical Society of America