Kd. Hobart et al., Compliant substrates: A comparative study of the relaxation mechanisms of strained films bonded to high and low viscosity oxides, J ELEC MAT, 29(7), 2000, pp. 897-900
Relaxation of compressively strained heteroepitaxial Si0.7Ge0.3 films bonde
d to high and low viscosity glass compliant layers was investigated. These
structures were formed by transferring Si0.7Ge0.3 films to Si substrates co
vered with thermal SiO2 and borophosphorosilicate glass (BPSG) films. Relax
ation was studied through thermal annealing experiments. For the low viscos
ity BPSG, relaxation was observed near 800 degrees C and was accompanied by
buckling of the Si0.7Ge0.3 film. At this temperature, no change in the Si0
.7Ge0.3 film bonded to thermal SiO2 was observed, and through this comparis
on relaxation on BPSG is interpreted as the result of viscous flow of the g
lass. Finally, film buckling was successfully avoided by patterning the str
ained films into small areas prior to annealing, and is an indication that
film expansion must be considered for elastic strain relaxation on complian
t media.