Reflection surface x-ray diffraction patterns: k-space images

For the past two decades, x-ray diffraction has been utilized for surface s tructural determination. Unlike reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) which is a complicated dynamical scattering process, x-ray surface analysis is simple and straightforward due to the kinematic nature of x ra ys. Using high brilliance x rays from an undulator beamline and a highly se nsitive charge coupled device detector, we successfully observed RHEED-like x-ray diffraction patterns. The patterns were recorded during the preparat ion of Si(111)-(7x7), transformation to Ge/Si(111)-(5x5) and Ge growth. Als o, simultaneous measurements of x-ray reflectivity and crystal truncation r ods are shown feasible with this technique. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(00)03308-6].