Threading Dislocation Densities in Mismatched Heteroepitaxial (001) Semiconductors

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this paper we propose a theory which accounts for the thickness dependence of threading dislocation densities in mismatched heteroepitaxial (001) semiconductors. This theory predicts that, for thick, planar, highly-mismatched heteroepitaxial layers with equilibrium strain, the threading dislocation density should be proportional to f/h, where f is thelattice mismatch and h is the film thickness. These predictions are in good agreement with experimental resultsin the GaAs on Si(001) system.