We report the experimental studies ofinsitukinetic thermal annealing process by Raman scattering obtained from very short period Si/Ge superlattices grown on two types of vicinal Si(100) substrates. The experimental results show that the samples grown on double‐stepped vicinal Si(100) substrates have well‐defined in‐plane strain in the epilayers and rather perfect interfaces. The samples grown on single‐stepped vicinal Si(100), on the other hand, appear to have strain‐relaxed and imperfect interfaces. The former is also thermodynamically more stable than the latter, and a suggested explanation is given. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.