Numerical determinations were made of the stress states in 2-dimensional Stranski-Krastanov islands of equilibrium shape. The calculations revealed stress relaxations and concentrations. The stresses were used to determine the first-order energy effect of introducing dislocations, having various Burgers vectors, into Stranski-Krastanov islands. The results revealed the so-called energy wells which permitted dislocations to relieve misfit stresses, and suggested that misfit dislocations in islands segregated according to the orientation of the Burgers vector. This segregation permitted a more efficient relief of non-uniform strains 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)