Abstract
We propose a model to elucidate the self-organization process of islands in multilayer heteroepitaxial growth. The
model is based on the preferential nucleation and growth of islands in regions of tensile strain in the total strain field on
a spacer-layer surface induced both by embedded islands and by growing surface islands. Surface islands nucleate at the
regions of tensile strain induced by embedded islands. The islands grow in size and induce increasingly large compressive
strain on the spacer-layer surface. A surface island reaches a stable size after the total strain field around it
becomes compressive. The model predicts that islands in successive layers not only form ordered columns but also show
uniform distributions of island size and spacing, in agreement with experimental observations.