title: Ge growth on vicinal si(001) surfaces: island's shape and pair interaction versus miscut angle.
abstract: A complete description of Ge growth on vicinal Si(001) surfaces is provided. The distinctive mechanisms of the epitaxial growth process on vicinal surfaces are clarified from the very early stages of Ge deposition to the nucleation of 3D islands. By interpolating high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy measurements with continuum elasticity modeling, we assess the dependence of island's shape and elastic interaction on the substrate misorientation. Our results confirm that vicinal surfaces offer an additional degree of control over the shape and symmetry of self-assembled nanostructures.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Roma Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Persichetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sgarlata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fanfoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balzarotti