The sample surface must be extremely clean for effective RHEED experiments. Contaminants on the sample surface interfere with the electron beam and degrade the quality of the RHEED pattern. RHEED users employ two main techniques to create clean sample surfaces. Small samples can be cleaved in the vacuum chamber prior to RHEED analysis. The newly exposed, cleaved surface is analyzed. Large samples, or those that are not able to be cleaved prior to RHEED analysis can be coated with a passive oxide layer prior to analysis. Subsequent heat treatment under the vacuum of the RHEED chamber removes the oxide layer and exposes the clean sample surface.