A low-temperature growth technique was developed such that, even for Ge fractions of up to 90%, the total thickness of fully relaxed GeSi buffers could be reduced to 1.7μm; with dislocation densities lower than 5 x 106/cm2. The surface roughness was less than 6nm. Strain relaxation was inhomogeneous from the onset; stacking faults were generated and formed mismatch dislocations at GeSi/Si interfaces.

Strain Relaxation of GeSi Alloy with Low Dislocation Density Grown on Low-Temperature Si Buffers C.S.Peng, H.Chen, Z.Y.Zhao, J.H.Li, D.Y.Dai, Q.Huang, J.M.Zhou, Y.H.Zhang, C.H.Tung, T.T.Sheng, J.Wang: Journal of Crystal Growth, 1999, 201-202, 530-3