The initial stage of relaxation of mechanical stresses in the Ge0.32Si0.68/Si(001) heterostructure grown by 300C molecular-beam epitaxy was studied by means of transmission electron microscopy. Dislocation half-loops propagating from the film surface and generating misfit dislocations during expansion were visualized.

Direct Observations of Dislocation Half-Loops Inserted from the Surface of the GeSi Hetero-Epitaxial Film. Y.B.Bolkhovityanov, A.S.Deryabin, A.K.Gutakovskii, M.A.Revenko, L.V.Sokolov: Applied Physics Letters, 2004, 85[25], 6140-2