MECHANICAL-STRESS IN GALLIUM-ARSENIDE ON SILICON SUBSTRATES

Mechanical stress of thin GaAs layers on Si(100) was investigated by photo- and cathodoluminescence at 77 K and by x-ray diffraction. The thickness of the GaAs layers was varied between 1.3 and 3.3 mum. The mechanical stress was measured before and after a treatment by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at a temperature of 930-degrees-C. The results of these measurements show a significant increasing of stress on the 1.3 mum layer samples (30%) after RTA. A considerable improvement (50%) of the full width at half maximum of rocking curves on the 3.3 mum layer samples was observed. We have also observed a splitting of stress into two different values.