Quantum size effect in low energy electron diffraction of thin ®lms

Low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) is used to study the quantum size effect (QSE) in electron re¯ectivity from thin ®lms. Strong QSE interference peaks are seen below 20 eV for Cu and Ag ®lms on the W(1 1 0) surface and Sb ®lms on the Mo(0 0 1) surface. Simple inspection of QSE interference peaks reveals that all three metals grow atomic layer-by-atomic layer. Layer-speci®c I(V) spectra obtained with LEEM permit structural analysis by full dynamical multiple scattering LEED calculations for a layer-by-layer view of thin ®lm structure. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.