Size stability of nanostructures in Stranski-Krastanow systems under an electric field

Abstract

This paper investigates the stability of wires against size variation for Stranski-Krastanow systems under the influence of an electric field generated by a patterned electric plate. The stability is determined by considering the total energy change as a function of the wire size. The results show that the wire size can be stabilized by the electric field if the system meets the viability criterion and the effective electric field effect is within the minimum and maximum limits. The minimum limit ensures that the wire formation is energetically favorable at moderate sizes, while the maximum limit enforces the suppression of the formation of large wires. © 2008 The American Physical Society.