Elimination of misfit dislocations in Si1−xGex/Si heterostructures by limited-area molecular-beam epitaxial growth

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Abstract
Limited‐area molecular‐beam epitaxial growth of Si1−xGex films, on a Si substrate with patterned SiO2, has been studied in order to eliminate misfit dislocations in Si1−xGex/Si heterostructures. This method is found to dramatically reduce misfit dislocations in Si1−xGex films. Hence, a thicker Si1−xGex film can be grown, without introducing misfit dislocations, on a Si substrate with patterned SiO2 than on a Si substrate without patterned SiO2. This phenomenon is attributed to the blocking of misfit dislocation extension and to a partial relaxation of the residual strain in the boundary between the crystal and polycrystalline Si1−xGex film.