ABSTRACTUsing recent results from the thermodynamics of stressed solids, two-phase coexistence in a simple binary strained-layer superlattice is examined. We show that for a given temperature and overall composition of the superlattice, there can exist more than one linearly stable, equilibrium thermodynamic state. That is, there may exist several combinations of relative thickness of the phases and corresponding phase compositions that minimize the free energy of the system. The equilibrium state observed experimentally can, therefore, be influenced by the processing path.
