Elastic fields in quantum dot structures with arbitrary shapes and interface effects

Elastic fields in quantum dot (QD) structures affect their physical and mechanical properties, and they also play a significant role in their fabrication. The elastic fields in QD structures may be induced by mismatches in the coefficients of thermal expansion and the lattice constants of species, by defects, and by external loading. The calculation of the elastic fields in QD structures is complicated by several factors: by the complex shapes of QDs; by the anisotropy of the material species; and by the interface effects at the nano scale. In this paper we present a general approach to the calculation of the elastic fields in QD structures of arbitrary shape. This approach can also deal with the anisotropy of the QD material, the nonuniformity of its composition, the mismatch in the elastic constants of the matrix and the QD, and the interface effect. The effects of these factors on the elastic fields are depicted by analytical and numerical results. ? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.EI