Editing Superlattice (section)

=== Production ===

Superlattices can be produced using various techniques, but the most common are [[molecular-beam epitaxy]] (MBE) and [[sputtering]]. With these methods, layers can be produced with thicknesses of only a few atomic spacings. An example of specifying a superlattice is [{{chem|Fe|20|V|30}}]<sub>20</sub>. It describes a bi-layer of 20Å of Iron (Fe) and 30Å of Vanadium (V) repeated 20 times, thus yielding a total thickness of 1000Å or 100&nbsp;nm. The MBE technology as a means of fabricating semiconductor superlattices is of primary importance. In addition to the MBE technology, [[Metal organic chemical vapor deposition|metal-organic chemical vapor deposition]] (MO-CVD) has contributed to the development of superconductor superlattices, which are composed of quaternary III-V compound semiconductors like InGaAsP alloys. Newer techniques include a combination of gas source handling with ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) technologies such as metal-organic molecules as source materials and gas-source MBE using hybrid gases such as arsine ({{chem|AsH|3}}) and phosphine ({{chem|PH|3}}) have been developed.

Generally speaking MBE is a method of using three temperatures in binary systems, e.g., the substrate temperature, the source material temperature of the group III and the group V elements in the case of III-V compounds.

The structural quality of the produced superlattices can be verified by means of [[X-ray diffraction]] or [[neutron diffraction]] spectra which contain characteristic satellite peaks. Other effects associated with the alternating layering are: [[giant magnetoresistance]], tunable reflectivity for X-ray and neutron mirrors, neutron [[spin polarization]], and changes in elastic and acoustic properties. Depending on the nature of its components, a superlattice may be called ''magnetic'', ''optical'' or ''semiconducting''.

[[File:Fe20v30.png|300px|right|thumb|X-ray and neutron scattering from the  [Fe<sub>20</sub>V<sub>30</sub>]<sub>20</sub> superlattice.]]