IN SITU STUDIES WITH LOW-ENERGY ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

This paper gives a brief review of low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) as used for in situ studies of surface dynamical processes. The capabilities of LEEM are illustrated with two examples. One is a kinetic instability observed during growth of the first layer of CaF 2 on Si (111). The second concerns the nucleation of misfit dislocations during the growth of thicker, epitaxial CaF 2 films on Si (111), as the critical thickness is exceeded. Both examples highlight the importance of real time, in situ observations of surface dynamical processes.