User friendly digital image processing system for low energy electron diffraction applications

The use of the LEED (low energy electron diffraction) methodology for the study of solid-state surfaces is discussed. An image processing system and associated computerization mechanisms have been devised for conducting LEED research activity. The LEED digital image processing system performs the following functions: set electron energy to the minimum energy; grab an LEED image; save the data onto the hard disk; change the electron energy by the step; take the next snapshot; and repeat the procedure up to the maximum electron energy. This system has been used to get hundreds of LEED images of a GaAs crystal. The authors present the technical, hardware, and software details of the image processing system and discuss the performance factors of the system