Self-aligning of self-assembled Ge islands on Si(001)

The position of Ge islands formed on Si substrates by self-assembly can be determined by adjacent lithographically defined features. Islands tend to f orm near the edges of narrow Si lines defined by oxide isolation and conven tional selective Si epitaxial deposition, offering the possibility of formi ng small device features without fine lithography. Multiple rows of islands can form on wider lines. The alignment is probably caused by easier nuclea tion on shallow facets; therefore, the position of the Ge islands can be in fluenced by controlling the shape of the underlying Si surface.