SELF-ASSEMBLED ISLAND FORMATION IN HETEROEPITAXIAL GROWTH

We investigate island formation during heteroepitaxial growth using an atomistic model that incorporates deposition, activated diffusion, an d stress relaxation. For high misfit the system naturally evolves into a state characterized by a narrow island size distribution. The simul ations indicate the existence of a strain assisted kinetic mechanism r esponsible for the self-assembling process, involving enhanced detachm ent of atoms from the edge of large islands and biased adatom diffusio n. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.