The stress states in 2-dimensional Stranski-Krastanov islands with an equilibrium shape were determined numerically. The calculations revealed important generic characteristics, and quantitative details of the stress states in equilibrium islands; including stress relaxation and stress concentration. The stresses were also used to determine the first-order energy required to introduce dislocations having various Burgers vectors into the islands. The results characterized the energy wells which were sought by dislocations in order to relieve the misfit stresses, and suggested that misfit dislocations in islands segregated according to the orientation of their Burgers vector. Such segregation permitted a more efficient relief of the non-uniform strain in misfitting islands.

Stresses and First-Order Dislocation Energetics in Equilibrium Stranski-Krastanov Islands. B.J.Spencer, J.Tersoff: Physical Review B, 2001, 63[20], 205424 (9pp)