  We report on calculations of the formation energies of several [100] and
[110] oriented step structures on biaxially stressed Si and Ge (001) surfaces.
It is shown that a novel rebonded [100] oriented single-height step is strongly
stabilized by compressive strain compared to most well-known step structures.
We propose that the side walls of ``hut''-shaped quantum dots observed in
recent experiments on SiGe/Si films are made up of these steps. Our
calculations provide an explanation for the nucleationless growth of shallow
mounds, with steps along the [100] and [110] directions in low- and high-misfit
films, respectively, and for the stability of the (105) facets under
compressive strain.
