Microstructural evolution of strained heteroepitaxial multilayers

A nonlinear model using the phase-field approach is developed to study microstructural evolution during the growth of strained heteroepitaxial multilayers. The strain from the buried layers is observed to influence the nucleation of islands in subsequently deposited strained layers. The patterns obtained during the evolution of multilayers are determined by the interplay of strain relaxation and deposition flux leading to formation of coordinated, stacked islands in the low flux regime and planar growth in the high flux regime, in agreement with the experimental observations.