The modulation of an elastic strain field by a buried incoherent interface was calculated analytically for 3 cases of a bonded layer with either a misfit, a miscut or a twist. The interfacial dislocations introduced a periodic strain field at the free surface. The energy modulation of the formation of an island on this strained surface, via the Stranski-Krastanov mechanism, was evaluated as a function of the bonded layer thickness and the island misfit. For edge dislocations (misfit or miscut), the modulation decreased in inverse proportion to the bonded layer thickness, when the latter was less than the strain-field period. It decreased as an exponential function of the bonded layer thickness when the latter was greater than the strain-field period. Screw dislocations (twist) were less effective than edge dislocations, by 2 orders of magnitude. The exact location of the preferred nucleation of islands was calculated. It was found that they were not always nucleated above the exact position of a buried dislocation.

How to Control the Self-Organization of Nanoparticles by Bonded Thin Layers. A.Bourret: Surface Science, 1999, 432[1-2], 37-53