The structural analysis possibilities of reflection high energy electron diffraction

The epitaxial growth of complex oxide thin films provides three avenues to generate unique properties: the ability to influence the three-dimensional structure of the film, the presence of a surface and the generation of an interface. In all three cases, a clear understanding of the resulting atomic structure is desirable. However, determining the full structure of an epitaxial thin film (lattice parameters, space group, atomic positions, surface reconstructions) on a routine basis is a serious challenge. In this paper we highlight the remarkable information that can be extracted from both the Bragg scattering and inelastic multiple scattering events that occur during reflection high energy electron diffraction. We review some methods to extract structural information and show how mature techniques used in other fields can be directly applied to the in situ and real-time diffraction images of a growing film. These collections of techniques give access to both the epitaxially influenced three-dimensional bulk structure of the film, and any reconstructions that may happen at the surface. (topical review)