It was shown that the role which was played by surface energy in the total-energy balance between the initial 2-dimensional state and the final 3-dimensional state was of great importance for explaining the morphologies that were observed during the molecular beam epitaxial growth of strained materials. This was established by analyzing differences in the onsets of 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional transitions, in 2%-mismatched InGaAs films on InP(001) substrates, which occurred upon changing the mismatch sign (compression or tension), the dopant, and the type of surface stabilization (anion or cation). The onsets were measured by means of reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and the corresponding surface morphologies were characterized by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy.

M.Gendry, G.Grenet, Y.Robach, P.Krapf, L.Porte, G.Hollinger: Physical Review B, 1997, 56[15], 9271-4