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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
A new strain relief mechanism was observed in thin films of Si0.85Ge0.15 grown by RTCVD (rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition) on patterned (001) and planar (111) Si substrates. The (001) Si substrates were lithographically patterned and anisotropically etched to produce a line pattern of V-shaped grooves running in the [110] direction where the walls of the grooves were the {111} crystal planes lying in the [110] zone. Cross-section and plan-view TEM (transmission electron microscopy) studies revealed the presence of open ended stacking fault tetrahedra in strained-layer Si0.85Ge0.15 grown both on (111) Si wafers and the {111} sidewalls of the patterned (001) Si wafers. No defects were observed in the (001) portions of the films grown on non-planar substrates.