Residual strain measurements in InGaAs metamorphic buffer layers on GaAs

This work deals with the strain relaxation mechanism in InGaAs metamorphic buffers (MBs) grown on GaAs substrates and overgrown by InAs quantum dots (QD). The residual strain is measured by using Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction, both in Reciprocal Space Map and in single omega-2 theta scan modes (omega and theta being the incidence angles on the sample surface and on the scattering planes, respectively). By relating the GaAs-like longitudinal optical phonon frequency omega(LO) of InGaAs MBs to the in-plane residual strain epsilon measured by means of photoreflectance (PR), the linear epsilon-vs.-omega(LO) working curve is obtained. The results of Raman and XRD measurements, as well as those obtained by PR, are in a very satisfactory agreement. The respective advantages of the techniques are discussed. The measurements confirm that strain relaxation depends on the thickness t of the buffer layer following a -t(-1/2) power law, that can be explained by an energy-balance model.