Using molecular dynamics simulations based upon Tersoff potentials it was shown that, at typical experimental temperatures, high compressive strain regimes suppressed the formation of partial glide dislocations, while enhancing the gliding of the shuffle segments. Despite being qualitative in nature, these results suggested that strain relaxation in thin virtual substrates at high misfit may occurred with a different modality than in thick graded layers, as indicated by preliminary experimental results by low-energy plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

Stability of Shuffle and Glide Dislocation Segments with Increasing Misfit in Ge/Si1–xGex(001) Epitaxial Layers. A.Marzegalli, F.Montalenti, L.Miglio: Applied Physics Letters, 2005, 86[4], 041912 (3pp)