Tromp RM, Ross FM, Reuter MC
IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA.
Phys Rev Lett. 2000 May 15;84(20):4641-4. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.4641.
Three-dimensional islanding is generally assumed to proceed through nucleation and growth. Here we present studies showing the growth of Si1-xGex islands (0.2<x<0.6) without nucleation. Rather, a strain-driven growth instability induces a network of elevated cells, where the angle of elevation self-limits when 105 facets form pyramidal islands. These strain-modulated surfaces may serve as a template for the spatially controlled growth of quantum dot ensembles.
