A 3-element defect reaction-diffusion scheme was proposed for the analysis of dislocation kinetics in films with an initial misfit strain. This permitted the investigation of the development of spatio-temporal non-uniformities in a defect distribution. The effect of the misfit dislocation back-stress upon the defect kinetics appeared to be the main reason for the generation of dislocation patterns in thin films. This effect could be incorporated by introducing misfit dislocation density gradients into the back-stress dependence. The existence of a critical film thickness was predicted; above which temporal oscillations in the defect densities occurred.

A.E.Romanov, E.C.Aifantis: Scripta Metallurgica et Materialia, 1994, 30[12], 1581-6