An analysis was made of the generation and evolution of partial misfit dislocations at the vertices of V-shaped configurations of stacking fault bands which terminated, in the bulk of growing films, at 90° Shockley partial dislocations. The critical thickness of an epitaxial film, at which the generation of such defect configurations became energetically favourable, was calculated. It was shown that, for small misfits, the first ones to be generated were perfect misfit dislocations. At large misfits, partial ones formed which were located at the vertices of V-shaped stacking-fault band configurations that emerged at the film surface. Further evolution of the stacking-fault band configurations, with increasing film thickness, was considered.

Generation and Evolution of Partial Misfit Dislocations and Stacking Faults in Thin-Film Heterostructures. M.Y.Gutkin, K.N.Mikaelyan, I.A.Ovidko: Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2001, 43[1], 42-6 (Physics of the Solid State, 2001, 43[1], 42-6)