Electron microscope characterization of CdSe/ZnSe quantum dots based on molecular dynamics structure relaxations

Molecular dynamics simulations using empirical potentials are applied to ch aracterize the structure, the energy relaxation and the stability of pyrami dal-shaped quantum dots in the CdSe/ZnSe system. The relaxed structure mode ls are used for a reliable interpretation of electron microscope investigat ions to analyze the size, the shape and the strain fields of the quantum do ts. Though the elastic strains modify the electron microsope image contrast by creating virtual truncations of the pyramids or additional black-white lobes, optimum imaging conditions chosen will reveal the shape and the size of the dots. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.