HIGH-RESOLUTION INTERFEROMETRIC-TECHNIQUE FOR IN-SITU STUDIES OF CRYSTAL-GROWTH MORPHOLOGIES AND KINETICS

We have developed an interferometric technique for the high resolution monitoring of interfacial morphologies. Changes in feature height of 200 Angstrom over several days can be resolved across crystal facets s everal 100 mu m wide. This is achieved through signal processing based on the phase information contained in the interferometric intensity f ield and by applying corrections determined from an interferometric re ference signal. Extensive tests on (110) faces of lysozyme crystals re vealed growth rate fluctuations as a result of step bunching and other interfacial position-dependent step kinetics.