Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is besides metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) the common experimental method for performing epitaxial growth mostly of semiconductors. In solid source MBE the elemental materials, e.g. In, Ga, As, being solid at room temperature, are evaporated from special ovens, the effusion cells. The resulting molecular beams are then directed onto the (heated) semiconductor substrate where the epitaxial growth takes place.
In our group, MBE is used to grow thin films as well as semiconductor nanostructures like InAs quantum dots on GaAs or silicide nanowires on Si.