A comparison of strain relief behaviour of In x Ga1− x As alloy on GaAs (001) and (110) substrates

A comparative study on the strain relief behaviour of epitaxially grown In x Ga1 − x As (where 0.1 ≤ × ≤ 1) alloys on GaAs (001) and (110) were carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD). Three different strain relief mechanisms related to the formation of misfit dislocations (MDs) were observed. The dominant strain relief process can be a single mechanism or a combination of two of the three mechanisms depending on the substrate orientation and the in content.