The azimuthal angle affects the geometry and intensity of RHEED patterns. The azimuthal angle is the angle at which the incident electrons intersect the ordered crystal lattice on the surface of the sample. Most RHEED systems are equipped with a sample holder that can rotate the crystal around an axis perpendicular to the sample surface. RHEED users rotate the sample to optimize the intensity profiles of patterns. Users generally index at least 2 RHEED scans at different azimuth angles for reliable characterization of the crystal's surface structure. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of an electron beam incident on the sample at different azimuth angles.