Nanoscale Structuring by Misfit Dislocations in ${\mathrm{Si}}_{1-\mathit{x}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathit{x}}/Si$ Epitaxial Systems

New capabilities of misfit dislocations for spatial manipulation of islands in ${\mathrm{Si}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x/\mathrm{Si}$ heteroepitaxial systems have been elucidated. Formation of highly ordered Ge-island patterns on substrates prestructured by slip bands of misfit dislocations is revealed. The major sources leading to the ordering are identified to be dislocation strain fields at the surface and modifications of the near-surface-layer morphology induced by dislocation slip.