Molecular Beam Epitaxy

This multi-contributor handbook discusses molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), an epitaxial deposition technique that involves laying down layers of materials with atomic thicknesses on to substrates. The work will summarize MBE research and application in epitaxial growth with close discussion and a "how to" on processing molecular or atomic beams that occur on a surface of a heated crystalline substrate in a vacuum. MBE has expanded in importance over the past 30 years (in terms of unique authors, papers and conferences) from a pure research domain into commercial applications (prototype device structures and more at the advanced research stage). MBE is important because it enables new device phenomena and facilitates the production of multiple layered structures with extremely fine dimensional and compositional control. The techniques can be deployed wherever precise thin-film devices with enhanced and unique properties for computing, optics or photonics are required. This book covers the advances made by MBE both in research and mass production of electronic and optoelectronic devices. It includes new semiconductor materials, new commercially available device structures, and many more that are at the advanced research stage.