First-principles calculations were used to calculate the strain dependences of the binding and diffusion-activation energies for Ge adatoms on (001) surfaces. The calculations revealed that the binding and activation energies on a strained (001) surface increased and decreased, respectively, by 0.21 and 0.12eV per percent of compressive strain. For a growth temperature of 600C, these strain-dependences gave rise to a 16-fold increase in adatom density and a 5-fold decrease in adatom diffusivity in the region of compressive strain surrounding a Ge island with a characteristic size of 10nm.

First-Principles Calculation of the Effect of Strain on the Diffusion of Ge Adatoms on Si and Ge(001) Surfaces. A.van de Walle, M.Asta, P.W.Voorhees: Physical Review B, 2003, 67[4], 041308 (4pp)