High-quality single-crystal SiGe layers on insulator formed by rapid melt growth

We demonstrate the fabrication of high-quality fully relaxed SiGe layers on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate by rapid melt growth. A compositional gradient and crystallographic defects are confined to a region between the relaxed SiGe and residual SOI layers. The degradation of surface roughness during rapid thermal annealing is suppressed by the capping SiO₂ layer.