Strain tensor elements for misfit‐strained [hhk]‐oriented cubic crystals

We calculate the strain tensor components for (hhk)‐oriented cubic materials with misfit‐generated strain. We assume the strained layer to be free of crystalline defects, and derive the tensor elements via minimization of the crystal strain energy with the imposed constraint that the epitaxial film remains in registry with the substrate lattice. The strain components described, both in the crystalline basis and in the basis of the growing film, are written in terms of the lattice mismatch and the growth‐axis Miller indices. We show that the accommodation of misfit‐generated strain produces a tetragonal distortion for all (hhk)‐grown layers, and use the above results to interpret x‐ray diffraction data.