Strain in heteroepitaxial growth

TL;DR

This paper investigates how elastic strain from heteroepitaxial islands influences adatom diffusion and detachment barriers using atomistic simulations with empirical potentials.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the elastic effects on adatom behavior during heteroepitaxial growth through atomistic simulation data.

Findings

Diffusion barriers are affected by substrate stress levels.

Detachment barriers vary with island size.

Elastic strain influences adatom mobility near islands.

Abstract

We use atomistic simulations with an empirical potential (EAM) to study the elastic effects of heteroepitaxial islands on adatom diffusion. We measure the diffusion barrier on pure stressed substrate and near a misfit island, as well as the detachment barrier from islands of different size.