DAMAGE AND STRAIN IN PSEUDOMORPHIC VS RELAXED GEXSI1-X LAYERS ON SI(100) GENERATED BY SI ION IRRADIATION

We compare both the strain and damage that 100 keV Si irradiation at room temperature introduces in pseudomorphic and relaxed GexSi1-x films grown on Si(100) substrates. The ion range is such that the Si/GexSi1-x interface is not significantly damaged. The amount of damage produced in pseudomorphic and relaxed GexSi1-x layers of similar x for irradiation doses up to 2.5 x 10(14) Si/cm2 is the same, which proves that a pre-existing uniform strain does not noticeably affect the irradiation-induced damage. However, the irradiation-induced strain does depend on the pre-existing strain of the samples. Possible interpretations are discussed.