We present a method to produce thin SiGe virtual substrates suitable for electronic applications. This method is based on the gas phase process of low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The strain-relaxed buffers are characterized by X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We find threading dislocation densities lower than 3 x 10(8) cm(-2) and a surface rms toughness of 1.8 nm, for a buffer thickness of 500 nm. Room temperature electrical results are also presented, which are competitive with those obtained on SiGe buffers produced by other methods. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.