Defects in epitaxial SiGe-alloy layers

Examples of growth- and process-induced defects in strain;relaxed Si1-xGex alloy layers grown epitaxially on Si substrates are reviewed. Recent effort s to reduce the density of threading dislocations using different types of buffer layers to accommodate the misfit strain are examined, and the optica l and electrical activity of growth-induced defects are discussed. As examp les of process-induced defects, the vacancy, the di-vacancy, and the Sb-vac ancy pair in n-type Si1-xGex are treated, and their thermal stabilities are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.