Surface Science and Epitaxy

The growth of strained layer epitaxial films and compositionally modulated superlattices is the driving force for much of current day materials science and technology. Examples range from electronics materials where semiconductor heterostructures result in band gap modification to strained epitaxy in metallic systems which yields materials with modified catalytic properties. The successful growth of these structures depends on the knowledge and tools of surface science and a general understanding of solid/solid interfaces. In this talk I will consider three issues associated with strained layer epitaxy: 1) The clustering phenomena and the morphology of overlayer; 2) The adsorbate-substrate interaction and the role it plays in practical systems such as GaAs/Si and 3) The strain in ultra-thin, epitaxial Ge/Si systems. The understanding of these issues allows the growth of new electronic materials with unlimited possibilities.