Comparison of diffraction techniques in the investigation of the structure of thin films by X-rays and electron radiation

Diffraction techniques utilized in the investigation of the crystalline structure of thin films are surveyed, with emphasis on the fine structure of thin films. Transmission techniques (including the Debye technique) and reflection techniques (including the Debye-Scherrer technique) are contrasted. Approaches to determining the position and the shape of interference lines and fringes, or the intensities of individual interference patterns, are compared. Possibilities and drawbacks of structural analysis based on X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction are listed, and some special aspects of X-ray diffraction structural analysis of thin films (including microstresses and thicknesses) are detailed.