Patent ID: 8048693

Claim:
A method for relaxing a layer of a strained material comprising: growing the strained-material layer on a seed substrate; depositing a first low-viscosity layer on one exposed face of the strained-material layer; bonding a first substrate to the first low-viscosity layer; detaching the strained-material layer, the first low-viscosity layer, and the first substrate from the seed substrate; depositing a second low-viscosity layer on other now-exposed face of the strained-material layer; bonding a second substrate to the second low-viscosity layer so as to form a sandwich structure; and subjecting the sandwich structure to heat treatment at a temperature of between 800° C. and 950° C. to cause reflow of one or both of the first and the second low-viscosity layers so as to at least partly relax the strained-material layer within the sandwich structure.