NANO2005-87030 ELASTIC FIELDS OF SURFACE QUANTUM DOTS

ABSTRACT The INTRODUCTION The focus of this research project is to determine the elastic stress fields of three-dimensional self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) and the elastic interaction energy between them. In particular, the effect of interaction energy on the spatial ordering of quantum dots is investigated. Both for understanding ordering, as well as the subsequent effects on electronic properties in SAQD structures, several classes of theoretical models have evolved. Romanov et al. In the present study, the purpose is two-fold: firstly, to determine the elastic fields in 3D quantum dots and the surrounding substrate, by means of finite element analysis, in order to assess the effect of lattice mismatch, dot volume, and dot/surface contact area on the induced stress fields and elastic energy. Secondly, to investigate the elastic interaction between quantum dots and the impact of the separation distance between the dots on the in