Bistability in the shape transition of strained islands

Henricus J.W. Zandvliet, Raoul van Gastel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

The equilibrium shape of a monatomic strained island on a substrate depends on the step free energies and the difference in surface stress between the island and the substrate. For small island sizes the step free energies dominate, resulting in compact islands. Beyond a critical island size, however, the strain energy becomes dominant and the island maximizes its perimeter, resulting in elongated islands. Here we show that for strained islands with force monopoles pointing in opposing directions at neighboring steps, a regime exists near the critical island size where both compact and elongated shapes can coexist.
Original languageUndefined
Pages (from-to)136103-
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume99
Issue number13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

Keywords

  • IR-59164
  • METIS-242122

Cite this

Zandvliet, Henricus J.W. ; van Gastel, Raoul. / Bistability in the shape transition of strained islands. In: Physical review letters. 2007 ; Vol. 99, No. 13. pp. 136103-.
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Zandvliet, HJW & van Gastel, R 2007, 'Bistability in the shape transition of strained islands' Physical review letters, vol. 99, no. 13, pp. 136103-. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.136103

Bistability in the shape transition of strained islands. / Zandvliet, Henricus J.W.; van Gastel, Raoul.

In: Physical review letters, Vol. 99, No. 13, 2007, p. 136103-.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bistability in the shape transition of strained islands

AU - Zandvliet, Henricus J.W.

AU - van Gastel, Raoul

PY - 2007

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N2 - The equilibrium shape of a monatomic strained island on a substrate depends on the step free energies and the difference in surface stress between the island and the substrate. For small island sizes the step free energies dominate, resulting in compact islands. Beyond a critical island size, however, the strain energy becomes dominant and the island maximizes its perimeter, resulting in elongated islands. Here we show that for strained islands with force monopoles pointing in opposing directions at neighboring steps, a regime exists near the critical island size where both compact and elongated shapes can coexist.

AB - The equilibrium shape of a monatomic strained island on a substrate depends on the step free energies and the difference in surface stress between the island and the substrate. For small island sizes the step free energies dominate, resulting in compact islands. Beyond a critical island size, however, the strain energy becomes dominant and the island maximizes its perimeter, resulting in elongated islands. Here we show that for strained islands with force monopoles pointing in opposing directions at neighboring steps, a regime exists near the critical island size where both compact and elongated shapes can coexist.

KW - IR-59164

KW - METIS-242122

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.136103

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.136103

M3 - Article

VL - 99

SP - 136103-

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

SN - 0031-9007

IS - 13

ER -

Zandvliet HJW, van Gastel R. Bistability in the shape transition of strained islands. Physical review letters. 2007;99(13):136103-. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.136103

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