Thickness-dependent surface energy and formation of epitaxial quantum dots

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies show that during epitaxial growth according to the Stranski-Krastanow mechanism in systems mismatched by the lattice constant, the change in the surface energy of the system during nucleation and further growth of quantum dots, plays...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kirill A Lozovoy, Ying Zhou, Roger Smith, Adam Lloyd, Andrey P Kokhanenko, Vladimir V Dirko, Nataliya Yu Akimenko, Denis V Grigoryev, Alexander V Voitsekhovskii
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied Physics
COHERENT ISLANDS
ELASTIC RELAXATION
Engineering
GROWTH
Materials Science
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Molecular beam epitaxy
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
Physical Sciences
Physics
Physics, Applied
Physics, Condensed Matter
Quantum dots
Science & Technology
STRANSKI-KRASTANOW
Stranski-Krastanow growth mechanism
STRESS-DRIVEN NUCLEATION
Technology
Two-dimensional materials
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Summary:© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies show that during epitaxial growth according to the Stranski-Krastanow mechanism in systems mismatched by the lattice constant, the change in the surface energy of the system during nucleation and further growth of quantum dots, plays the most important role. In particular, this factor determines the equilibrium and critical thicknesses of the transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional growth, and also affects other kinetic characteristics of the ensemble of nanoclusters, including the nucleation rate, surface density, and average size of the islands. Recent theoretical studies have made it possible to determine that the surface energy in this process depends on the thickness of the material deposited on the substrate. In this paper, we construct a kinetic model of the formation and coherent growth of two-dimensional layers and quantum dots in mismatched epitaxial systems, taking into account the dependence of the specific surface energies on the thickness of the deposited material. In this approximation, we calculate the basic parameters of the formed array of nanoislands. Experimental studies were also carried out on the growth of two-dimensional layers and quantum dots of germanium on the silicon (100) surface. The results of experimental investigations confirm the proposed theoretical model.