Some Aspects of RHEED Theory

Abstract

Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) is becoming increasingly important in the study of surface growth and surface morphology. For example, RHEED is the principal tool used for in situ monitoring of molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth. Indeed, the discovery that RHEED intensity oscillations can be observed during MBE growth [1] has led to a dramatic upsurge of interest in the technique. Another important advance is the development of RHEED imaging methods [2,3] which offer a direct probe of surface morphology. These advances in experimental technique have been paralleled by developments in the theory of RHEED [4,5] with the result that meaningful theory/experiment comparisons are beginning to be done [6]. The purpose of this contribution is to review the current status of the theory and to assess its future prospects.