In keeping with tradition, this collection covers three principal crystallization methods: from the vapor, solution, and the melt. The five articles of the first part are concerned with heterostructure formation. O. P. Pchelyakov and L. V. Sokolov report on controlled growth of nanostructures in the Si-Ge system using an array of modern analytical tools to follow the process in situ. A different method for growing quantum-sized Si-Ge structures is used by Mil'vidskii et al., chemical deposition of hydrides from the vapor. Stresses and misfit dislocations in the resulting heterostructures are thoroughly investigated. The theoretical work of E. M. Trukhanov examines the formation mechanism of long-range stresses that produce r -shaped cracks during the growth of thick Ge-Si films. The reasons for the manifestation of macro defects connected with the generation of twins in HgCdTe films are unraveled by Yu. G. Sidorov et al. The conditions under which films with a low defect density grow are found. The preparation of highly oxidized amorphous Nb films and the structures formed during the crystallization of these films are reported by A. A. Sokol et al. Growth from solutions is the subject of the four articles in the second part.
