Interfacial Energies Providing a Driving Force for Ge/Si Heteroepitaxy

Abstract
Epitaxy of Ge on Si(001) from undersaturated solutions demonstrates a novel principle: minimization of interfacial energy between solution and solid in a system provides the driving force for heteroepitaxy. Growth according to this principle leads to sharp heterointerfaces and Ge layers free of nucleation sites for dislocations. The relations of interfacial and strain energy vary on the system's pathway towards self-termination of growth and determine the layer morphology.