The integration of lattice mismatched semiconductors on Si(001) is of fundamental importance to further in-crease the performance and/or functionality of today's Si integrated circuits. The theory of compliant substrate effects offers the vision to integrate defect-free alternative semiconductor structures on Si. This concept is based on balancing the mismatch strain between the overgrowing epitaxial semiconductor and the Si substrate by a strain partitioning phenomenon. Using the Ge/Si heterosystem as a case study, we report by advanced 3rd generation synchrotron as well as laboratory techniques for materials characterization on the nano-scale clear experimental evidence for the compliance of Si nanoislands on SOI for selective Ge nanoheteroepitaxy. This integration concept is not limited to Ge but extendable to semiconductors like III-V and II-VI materials.
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