The intrinsic stress and morphology of the Stranski-Krastanov system, Ge/Si(111), were investigated for deposition temperatures of 700 to 950K. Over a broad range of intermediate temperatures, only 1 distinct decline in stress was observed; at the onset of 3-dimensional islanding. Together with previous transmission electron microscopic data, the present results demonstrated that the strain in Ge/Si(111), where the substrate surface - unlike the case of Ge/Si(001) - was the glide plane for dislocations, was relieved by the incorporation and continuous rearrangement of dislocations during the island stage.

Stress and relief of misfit strain of Ge/Si(111) J.Walz, A.Greuer, G.Wedler, T.Hesjedal, E.Chilla, R.Koch: Applied Physics Letters, 1998, 73[18], 2579-81