Determination of 3D atomic structure of surfaces and interfaces by photoelectron holography

Electron spectroscopy currently is used not only for electronic state analysis but also for determining the structure of solid surfaces. Photoelectron diffraction is particularly suitable for examining the structure of solid surfaces and interfaces. Moreover, the combination of medium-energy scanned-angle photoelectron diffraction and photoelectron holography is a very appealing and effective method for the characterization of epitaxial thin films. This is because the two techniques are based on the use of the same data set-scanned-angle photoelectron diffraction patterns-to provide different kinds of features. Photoelectron diffraction in the energy region of x-rays requires a higher angular resolution and a high-power x-ray source, especially in high-performance measurement systems. A new type of instrument equipped with a multi-energy high-power x-ray source and high angle-resolving analyser has been developed. Application of this instrument to atomic-level characterization of some kinds of nanomaterial systems is currently in progress. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.