Misfit-Dislocation Distributions in Heteroepitaxy: From Mesoscale Measurements to Individual Defects and Back

We provide an in-depth characterization of the dislocation distribution in partially relaxed Si0.92Ge0.08/Si(001) films. This is achieved by an innovative and general method, combining two state-of-the-art characterization techniques through suitable modeling. After having inferred the dislocation positions from transmission-electron-microscopy images, we theoretically reproduce scanning-x-ray-diffraction-microscopy tilt maps measured on the very same region of the sample. We obtain a nearly perfect match between model predictions and experimental data. As a result, we claim that it is possible to establish a local, direct correlation between the dislocations revealed by the transmission-electron-microscopy analysis and the measured lattice tilt distribution.