3D island nucleation behaviour on high index substrates

We present experimental data on InAs epitaxial layers grown on (N11)GaAs substrates showing that the substrate orientation affects the critical thickness for the onset of quantum dot self-assembling. The samples under investigation were characterised via photoluminescence measurements. We observed a decrease of self-assembling critical coverage with increasing Miller index N of the substrate. The observed behaviour is induced in-island strain relaxation inhibition caused by the use of high index substrates for the growth. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved