We have investigated, using X-ray microdiffraction, local strain and crystalline texture in SiGe layers fabricated under various growth conditions on Si(001) substrates. Two-dimensional reciprocal space maps and contour maps in a series of the X-ray rocking curves were taken from the SiGe layers with misfit dislocations having either a 60 degrees or pure-edge character. Quantitative analysis for fine structures observed in the diffraction peak revealed that crystal domains with sizes ranging from 50 nm to 200 turn at tilt angles from 0.00 degrees to 0.42 degrees with respect to the Si[001] direction are formed in the layer relaxed with 60 degrees dislocations. Furthermore, nonuniformity of crystalline texture having a size of 2 to 4 mu m was also detected. On the other hand, no remarkable domain structures were detected from diffraction profiles when the sample is predominantly strain-relaxed by pure-edge dislocations. In this case, homogeneous strain distribution with reduced mosaicity is realized in the micrometer-sized regions. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.