Characteristics of the MBE1 End-Station at PNC/XOR

An end-station for in-situ characterization of thin films at the PNC/XOR undulator beamline, Sector 20 of the Advanced Photon Source, is detailed. The ability to study films in-situ on a beamline enables examination of surfaces and interfaces on freshly-prepared films, without the influence of a capping layer. The MBE1 molecular beam epitaxy system was designed with this in mind. Now in routine operation and available for General Users on a collaborative basis, the primary function of MBE1 is to undertake polarization-dependent XAFS studies on fresh or stored films, but it also has the capability to do X-ray Standing Wave and Reflectivity measurements. The characteristics of the MBE1 system - its ranges of motions and detector options - are described in detail, with example data illustrating its functionality.