Dislocation-free coherent growing alloy films which could exhibit a morphological instability without nucleation were considered. Such strained films were investigated by developing a non-equilibrium continuum model and by performing a linear stability analysis. The couplings of film-substrate misfit strain, compositional stress, deposition rate and growth temperature determined the stability of the film morphology; as well as surface spinodal decomposition. Factors in epitaxial growth were considered, especially the compositional dependence of the elastic moduli and a coupling between the top surface and the underlying bulk of the film. The interplay of these factors led to new stability results. In addition to stability diagrams above and below the coherent spinodal temperature, the kinetic critical thickness for the onset of instability was calculated; as well as its scaling behavior with respect to misfit strain and deposition rate.

Epitaxial Growth in Dislocation-Free Strained Alloy Films - Morphological and Compositional Instabilities. Z.F.Huang, R.C.Desai: Physical Review B, 2002, 65[20], 205419 (20pp)