Disorder and defect formation mechanisms in molecular-beam-epitaxy grown silicon epilayers

► Disordered Si epilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. ► Growth has been carried out at temperatures T = 98 °C-514 °C. ► A correlation between defect density and disorder in the films has been found. ► Lack of medium range order and stress cause the formation of defects at low T. ► At high T, defects are associated to grain boundaries and oriented stacking faults.