We have fabricated linear chains and two-dimensional arrays of Ge islands b
y self-assembling and self-ordering processes on vicinal Si substrates. Ste
p bunches and stripe-like strain fields caused by underlying Si/SiGe multil
ayers with periodic wire-like accumulations at step edges induce an alignme
nt of Gr islands. Repulsion of neighboring islands is caused by overlapping
short-ranged strain fields surrounding partially strain relaxed dots and d
efines a minimum island separation. A periodic array of wires forming withi
n the multilayer serves as a self-organized template for two-dimensionally
ordered Ge islands with a lateral period of 120 nm which is comparable to t
he island size.