molecular-beam epitaxy

References

molecular-beam epitaxy

materials science

Also known as: MBE

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

Molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) is a process used in materials science to create extremely thin layers of material, one molecular layer at a time, on a crystal substrate. This technique is a form of vapor growth where pure atomic vapor is precisely controlled to deposit onto a surface.123

Epitaxy, the broader process, involves growing a crystal layer on another crystal, with the orientation dictated by the underlying crystal. MBE allows for the creation of crystalline thin films with specific chemical compositions and structures, which are crucial for manufacturing microelectronic and optoelectronic devices like those found in computers and telecommunications. The precise control offered by MBE is key to fabricating complex layered structures such as superlattices.213

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

advanced ceramics
Film deposition
…by molecular beam epitaxy, or MBE. In this technique molecular beams are directed at and react with other molecular beams at the substrate surface to produce atomic layer-by-layer deposition of the ceramic. Epitaxy (in which the crystallinity of the growing thin film matches that of the substrate) can often be…
Read More
…by molecular beam epitaxy, or MBE. In this technique molecular beams are directed at and react with other molecular beams at the substrate surface to produce atomic layer-by-layer deposition of the ceramic. Epitaxy (in which the crystallinity of the growing thin film matches that of the substrate) can often be…
Read More

crystal
Growth from the melt
Molecular-beam epitaxy, commonly abbreviated as MBE, is a form of vapour growth. The field began when the American scientist John Read Arthur reported in 1968 that gallium arsenide could be grown by sending a beam of gallium atoms and arsenic molecules toward the flat surface…
Read More
Molecular-beam epitaxy, commonly abbreviated as MBE, is a form of vapour growth. The field began when the American scientist John Read Arthur reported in 1968 that gallium arsenide could be grown by sending a beam of gallium atoms and arsenic molecules toward the flat surface…
Read More

nanotechnology
Pioneers
Molecular beam epitaxy, invented by Alfred Cho and John Arthur at Bell Labs in 1968 and developed in the 1970s, enabled the controlled deposition of single atomic layers. This tool provided for nanostructuring in one dimension as atomic layers were grown one upon the next.…
Read More
Molecular beam epitaxy, invented by Alfred Cho and John Arthur at Bell Labs in 1968 and developed in the 1970s, enabled the controlled deposition of single atomic layers. This tool provided for nanostructuring in one dimension as atomic layers were grown one upon the next.…
Read More

materials science
Epitaxial layers
…on a semiconducting substrate is molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). In this technique, a stream or beam of atoms or molecules is effused from a common source and travels across a vacuum to strike a heated crystal surface, forming a layer that has the same crystal structure as the substrate. Variations of…
Read More
…on a semiconducting substrate is molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). In this technique, a stream or beam of atoms or molecules is effused from a common source and travels across a vacuum to strike a heated crystal surface, forming a layer that has the same crystal structure as the substrate. Variations of…
Read More