The compensation effect, well known in catalytic reactions, is shown to apply equally well to the solid-phase epitaxial (SPE) growth ofSi1−xGexalloys. A linear relationship exists between the logarithm of the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy of the SPE growth rate. This linear relationship, together with the activation energy obtained earlier, enables one to completely describe the growth rate ofSi1−xGexalloys. The effect holds for both strained and unstrained SPE. The model is applicable to other binary alloys. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.