  We examine the structure and the evolution of Ge islands epitaxially grown on
vicinal Si(111) surfaces by scanning tunneling microscopy. Contrary to what is
observed on the singular surface, three-dimensional Ge nanoislands form
directly through the elastic relaxation of step-edge protrusions during the
unstable step-flow growth. As the substrate misorientation is increased, the
islands undergo a shape transformation which is driven by surface energy
minimization and controlled by the miscut angle. Using finite element
simulations, we show that the dynamics of islanding observed in the experiment
results from the anisotropy of the strain relaxation.
