  Germanium (Ge) is increasingly used as a substrate for high-performance
optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and electronic devices. These devices are usually
grown on thick and rigid Ge substrates manufactured by classical wafering
techniques. Nanomembranes (NMs) provide an alternative to this approach while
offering wafer-scale lateral dimensions, weight reduction, limitation of waste,
and cost effectiveness. Herein, we introduce the Porous germanium Efficient
Epitaxial LayEr Release (PEELER) process, which consists of the fabrication of
wafer-scale detachable monocrystalline Ge NMs on porous Ge (PGe) and substrate
reuse. We demonstrate monocrystalline Ge NMs with surface roughness below 1 nm
on top of nanoengineered void layer enabling layer detachment. Furthermore,
these Ge NMs exhibit compatibility with the growth of III-V materials.
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization shows
Ge NMs crystallinity and high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) reciprocal
space mapping endorses high-quality GaAs layers. Finally, we demonstrate the
chemical reconditioning process of the Ge substrate, allowing its reuse, to
produce multiple free-standing NMs from a single parent wafer. The PEELER
process significantly reduces the consumption of Ge during the fabrication
process which paves the way for a new generation of low-cost flexible
optoelectronics devices.
