METASTABILITY MODELING OF COMPLIANT SUBSTRATE CRITICAL THICKNESS USING EXPERIMENTAL STRAIN RELIEF DATA

A metastability model for GaAs compliant substrates is developed using the compliant substrate partitioning formula and experimental strain relief data. The developed model agrees with compliant substrate strai n relief data deduced from double crystal x-ray diffraction and indica tes that, for a set of growth conditions and compliant substrate thick nesses, layers of ZnGaAs of any thickness can be grown free of disloca tions. The model developed in this letter is also compared to other co mpliant substrate critical thickness models, and the authors discuss t he mechanisms of partitioning in mismatched layers grown on compliant substrates. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.