Simulation of reflection electron microscopy images: application to high-resolution imaging of the Si(001)2 × 1 surface

Abstract

A theory of image-formation for the surface-imaging technique of reflection electron microscopy (REM) is presented. The theory is described in detail for the case in which scattering from the crystal is described by the 2D Bloch wave formulation of the dynamical theory of elastic reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) from periodic systems, but the procedure presented is of much more general applicability. A detailed account is given of how the theory explains the general characteristic features of REM images. Examples of calculated high-resolution REM images of the flat Si(001)2 × 1 surface and of metal (Ag) adatoms and steps on the Si(001)2 × 1 surface are then presented and the effects of varying the imaging conditions are discussed.