LEED fine structure: Origins and applications

For incident energies below 50 eV, high resolution low energy electron diffraction (LEED) spectra exhibit fine structure arising primarily from the scattering of electrons by the surface potential barrier. We review the experimental techniques used for measuring such spectra, and derive a model for the process involved. The comparison between measured spectra and calculations using this model provides details about the surface barrier structure and adsorption sites on metal surfaces. We discuss current applications of this technique and some promising directions for future work.