Light-assisted deposition method for fabricating a compliant substrate for epitaxial growth of monocrystalline materials

High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer (24) on a silicon wafer (22). The accommodating buffer layer (24) is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide (28). The amorphous interface layer (28) dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. Light-assisted deposition techniques are used to form the accommodating buffer layer (24).