Patent ID: 6946373

Claim:
A method of forming a substantially relaxed, low-defect SGOI substrate material comprising the steps of: forming a Si x Ge 1-x layer,wherein x=0 or a number less than 1, on a surface of a first single crystal Si layer, said first single crystal Si layer has an interface with an underlying barrier layer that is resistant to Ge diffusion; patterning said Si x Ge 1-x layer and said first single crystal Si layer to provide a patterned structure comprising at least one island of said Si x Ge 1-x layer and said Si layer on a surface of said barrier layer, said at least one island having bare vertical sidewalls and a relaxation force that is greater than forces that oppose relaxation; and heating said patterned structure having said bare vertical sidewalls at a temperature which permits relaxation of strain within the patterned layers and subsequent interdiffusion of Ge throughout the patterned first single crystal Si layer and the patterned Si x Ge 1-x layer to form a substantially relaxed, single crystal SiGe layer atop a portion of the barrier layer.