Strain distributions in quantum dots of arbitrary shape

A method based on the Green's function technique for calculating strain in quantum dot (QD) structures has been developed. An analytical formula in the form of a Fourier series has been obtained for the strain tensor for arrays of QDs of arbitrary shape taking into account the anisotropy of elastic properties. Strain distributions using the anisotropic model for semiconductor QDs are compared to results of a simplified model in which the elastic properties are assumed to be isotropic. It is demonstrated that, in contrast to quantum wells, both anisotropic and isotropic models give similar results if the symmetry of the QD shape is less than or equal to the cubic symmetry of the crystal. The strain distribution for QDs in the shape of a sphere, cube, pyramid, hemisphere, truncated pyramid, and flat cylinder are calculated and analyzed. It is shown that the strain distributions in the major part of the QD structure are very similar for different shapes and that the characteristic value of the hydrostatic strain component depends only weakly on the QD shape. Application of the method can considerably simplify electronic structure calculations based on the envelope function method and plane wave expansion techniques. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)06713-4].