Reduced effective misfit in laterally limited structures such as epitaxial islands

Numerical finite element calculations have been reported to determine a correction function Φ that describes the reduction of the misfit that occurs when laterally limited structures such as faceted islands or mesa structures are grown on a substrate. The reduction of the average strain energy density is calculated in these three-dimensional islands and compared to the constant strain energy density in a continuous layer. Ratios Φ are obtained from the calculation of different island geometries, i.e., different facet angles γ and different aspect ratios island width l to island height h. These discrete values are fitted by a function which can easily be applied to the full range of aspect ratios (l/h≳0) and facet angles (0°