The relaxation of SiGe/Si(001) strained layers was studied during annealing at temperatures ranging from 400 to 900C. By assuming that the relaxation was caused mainly by the nucleation and propagation of dislocations, the dislocation-related luminescence could be used to monitor the relaxation process. It was shown that dislocations with non-equilibrium dissociation widths were generated in highly stressed layers. The data were in good agreement with previous transmission electron microscopic results.

V.V.Kveder, E.A.Steinman, H.G.Grimmeiss: Journal of Applied Physics, 1995, 78[1], 446-50