Molecular beam epitaxy: an overview

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is an epitaxial technology suited for the preparation of advanced structures with composition and doping profiles controlled on a nanometer scale. The MBE growth mechanisms of both lowly (<2-3%) and highly lattice-mismatched structures allow the preparation of (1) two-dimensional structures with atomically smooth interfaces and (2) three-dimensional nanoislands that completely confine carriers, respectively. In this chapter, the main features of the MBE are reviewed and it is shown how the knowledge of kinetic growth mechanisms gives a great confidence in the design and preparation of structures with innovative engineered properties. Taking advantage of this feature, MBE has been used to demonstrate most of the novel semiconductor structures and devices of interest for photonics and electronics on the nanoscale.