page_title: Reflection high-energy electron diffraction
section_title: Dynamic scattering analysis
hierarchical_section_title: Reflection high-energy electron diffraction / Surface diffraction / Dynamic scattering analysis
context_page_description: Reflection high-energy electron diffraction is a technique used to characterize the surface of crystalline materials. RHEED systems gather information only from the surface layer of the sample, which distinguishes RHEED from other materials characterization methods that also rely on diffraction of high-energy electrons. Transmission electron microscopy, another common electron diffraction method samples the bulk of the sample due to the geometry of the system. Low-energy electron diffraction is also surface sensitive, but LEED achieves surface sensitivity through the use of low energy electrons.
context_section_description: The dynamically, or inelastically, scattered electrons provide several types of information about the sample as well. The brightness or intensity at a point on the detector depends on dynamic scattering, so all analysis involving the intensity must account for dynamic scattering. Some inelastically scattered electrons penetrate the bulk crystal and fulfill Bragg diffraction conditions. These inelastically scattered electrons can reach the detector to yield kikuchi diffraction patterns, which are useful for calculating diffraction conditions. Kikuchi patterns are characterized by lines connecting the intense diffraction points on a RHEED pattern. Figure 6 shows a RHEED pattern with visible Kikuchi lines.
caption: Figure 6. A RHEED pattern from a TiO2 (110) surface with visible Kikuchi lines. The Kikuchi lines pass through the Laue circles and appear to radiate from the center of the pattern.