DEFECT CAPPING FOR REDUCED DEFECT DENSITY EPITAXIAL ARTICLES

摘要

An epitaxial article includes a substrate having a substrate surface having a substrate surface composition including crystalline defect or amorphous regions and crystalline non-defect regions. The crystalline defect or amorphous regions are recessed from the substrate surface by surface recess regions. A capping material fills the surface recess regions to provide capped defects that extend from a top of the defect regions to the substrate surface. The capping material is compositionally different from the substrate surface composition. An epitaxial layer over the substrate surface provides an average crystalline defect density in at least one area having a size≧0.5μm2 that is≧two times lower than an average crystalline defect density in that area at or below the substrate surface.