ABSTRACT

M olecular beam epitaxy has experienced extremely rapid growth over the last ten years. During this time, the publication rate of technical articles has increased by an estimated order of magnitude reflecting the growing application of the MBE process. Similarly, the number of re­ searchers has grown concomitantly with the technology, and a large MBE community has established itself with various specializations according to materials and devices. This large and growing body of research knowledge has advanced and redefined the hardware which, in turn, has assisted further advances in process development. The entry level scientist is often faced with the formidable task of collecting the hardware familiarity and process foundation necessary to begin MBE research. It is the authors’ intent in this chapter to present a broad coverage of the present status of the MBE process and equipment, not dwelling in depth on any one aspect, but instead presenting key references to classic and current articles on important topics. By supplying timely leads to the work of leading re­ searchers, we hope to advance the learning curve of those using this source as a starting point. We sincerely hope that the reader finds this goal achieved.