Dynamics of Self-Organized Epitaxial Island Formation under Controlled Annealing

Abstract

It is a well known fact that strain-driven self-assembly via Stranski-Krastonov growth is a promising way to fabricate ordered quantum dot array. However, control of the morphology remains to be a critical issue. One approach towards controlled self-assembly is, but not limited to, epitaxial growth on patterned substrates or patterned epilayers. The possibility of controlling the growth morphology of quantum dots upon patterned substrates and patterned epilayers is explored by numerical studies of three-dimensional phase field simulation. The results indicate that, by creating appropriate patterns, such as topographical pattern created in the substrate or epilayer, and periodically strained substrate, etc, the initial strain distributions on the surfaces of the substrate or epilayer can be altered, and thus the subsequent evolution path of surface morphology under annealing can be controlled efficiently. This may lead to highly ordered quantum dot array.