Tight binding studies of strained Ge/Si(0 0 1) growth

Experimental observations of the growth of more than one monolayer of Ge on Si(0 0 1) show a progression of effects beyond the (2×N) reconstruction which is seen at sub-monolayer coverages: a reduction in the value of N with coverage; formation of straight trenches of missing dimer vacancies; and formation of the (M×N) “patch” structure. We present tight binding calculations which investigate the energetics and geometries associated with these effects, and extend our earlier treatment of formation energies for reconstructions with different stoichiometries to the case of several layers of Ge. The results provide explanations for the various effects seen, and are in good agreement with experimental observations.