Electronic Materials Letters , vol. 4, no. 3, pp.107-111, September, 2008

DOI :

Atomistic Computation of Local Stress and Strain Distribution around an InAs Quantum Dot between a GaAs Capping Layer and a Substrate

Eun Cheol Do and Byeong-Joo Lee^*
Pohang University of Science and Technology

Abstract : The utilization of self-assembling phenomena is important in nano material processes. For the fabrication of well-aligned multilayered nanodots or nanowires, it is necessary to know the atomistic strain/stress distribution in the capping layer. In the present study, an atomistic computational approach based on an modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) interatomic potential is used to investigate the atomistic strain/stress distribution in a GaAs capping layer over an InAs quantum dot (QD) on a GaAs substrate. The atomic scale local strain/stress around the QD can be well predicted by atomistic simulation and the approach can be used to determine the optimum interlayer distances for well-aligned multilayered QDs.

Keyword : InAs/GaAs quantum dots, strain/stress distribution, MEAM, atomistic simulation