High-quality strain relaxed SiGe layer was fabricated on Si using a thin Ge interlayer grown at 330C. The properties of SiGe layers with and without the low-temperature Ge interlayer were compared. The results indicated that the Ge interlayer played an important role in the preparation of SiGe layer. The strain relaxed low-temperature Ge interlayer with coalesced island surface, acting as a stable and compliant template, could remove the cross-hatch misfit dislocation lines on surface and promote the strain relaxation in the SiGe layer homogeneously.

Role of Ge Interlayer in the Growth of High-Quality Strain Relaxed SiGe Layer with Low Dislocation Density. C.Chen, L.Liao, C.Li, H.Lai, S.Chen: Applied Surface Science, 2011, 257[7], 2818-21