Three-dimensional islands in the Stranski-Krastanov system, Ge/Si(001), formed during the annealing of previously flat and nearly strain-relieved Ge films at 1020K or formed directly during Ge deposition at 1020K. They comprised a mixture of Ge and Si; thus suggesting that there was considerable interdiffusion at 1020K. Direct measurements of the elastic energy revealed that neither 3-dimensional islanding nor Si in-diffusion were driven by the reduction in misfit strain. The latter strain was the result of increasing configurational entropy.

Si In-Diffusion during the 3D Islanding of Ge/Si(001) at High Temperatures J.Walz, T.Hesjedal, E.Chilla, R.Koch: Applied Physics A, 1999, 69[4], 467-70