INTRODUCTION

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) is the oldest of the modern techniques of surface science,
not only because its origins lie in the experiment of Davisson and Germer in 1927, which first
demonstrated the wave nature of electrons, but also because it was the first such technique for
which commercial instrumentation was developed in the early days of stainless steel ultra-high
vacuum (UHV) systems in the 1960s. It remains the most widely used method of characterizing the
long-range order of single crystal surfaces and is still commonly regarded as the benchmark
technique for quantitative surface structure determination.

Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) is one of the most powerful techniques available for surface
analysis. It is widely used in materials science research to study surface structure, bonding and the
effects of structure on surface processes.

LEED is the principal technique for the determination of surface structures. It may be used in one of
two ways:

1. Qualitatively : where the diffraction pattern is recorded and analysis of the spot
positions yields information on the size, symmetry and rotational alignment of the
adsorbate unit cell with respect to the substrate unit cell.
2. Quantitatively : where the intensities of the various diffracted beams are recorded as a
function of the incident electron beam energy to generate so-called I-V curves which, by
comparison with theoretical curves, may provide accurate information on atomic positions.

A typical, completely equipped LEED system consists of

1. An UHV chamber.
2. A high-precision crystal manipulator.
3. An electron gun with a movable Faraday cup for collection of the
diffracted beams.
4. A display system for visual observation of the LEED pattern.
5. Sets of Helmholtz coils to compensate for the magnetic field of the
earth.
6. A sputtering gun for cleaning of the surface.

7. An Auger-Electron Spectroscopy system to monitor surface impurities.

WORKING

The low energy electron diffraction technique operates by sending a beam of electrons from an
electron gun to the surface of the sample being tested. An electron gun consists of a heated cathode
and a set of focusing lenses which sends the electrons between 20-300keV. As the electrons collide
with the surface of the sample, they diffract in numerous directions depending on the surface
crystallography. Once the electrons diffract, they head back towards three girds followed by a
phosphor covered screen. The first grid is grounded and basically serves as a shield which protects
the second grid as a result of its negative potential. The second grid acts as filter by allowing only the
electrons with higher energies to pass through. The lower energy electrons are blocked out due to
the fact that they disorder the image creating a clouded image. Once the electrons pass through the
second grid, they come to third and final grid. This grid separates the pervious negative grid from the
phosphor screen which carries a positive charge. As the electrons land on the phosphor screen they
create a phosphor glow. The intensity of the glow depends on the intensity of the electron. The
pattern of these glows is the pattern of the atoms on the surface of the crystal structure.
The coincidence of the ideal wavelength and the surface sensitivity forms the basis for low-energy
electron diffraction (LEED) from solid surfaces. When low energy electrons are reflected from an
ordered crystal surface, the elastically backscattered electrons are distributed according to the two-
dimensional (2D) grid of the surface and will form a Fraunhofer diffraction pattern. The Fraunhofer
diffraction pattern is the Fourier transform of the surface atom arrangement, and thus it reflects the
symmetry and the crystalline order of the surface.