High quality, thick (up to 1.1 mu m), strain relaxed GeSn alloys were grown on Ge-buffered Si (1 00) in an ASM Epsilon (R) chemical vapor deposition system using SnCl4 and low-cost commercial GeH4 precursors. The significance of surface chemistry in regards to growth rate and Sn-incorporation is discussed by comparing growth kinetics data in H-2 and N-2 carrier gas. The role of carrier gas is also explored in the suppression of Sn surface segregation and evolution of layer composition and strain profiles via secondary ion mass spectrometry and X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the spontaneous compositional splitting and formation of a thin intermediate layer in which dislocations are pinned. This intermediate layer enables the growth of a thick, strain relaxed, and defect-free epitaxial layer on its top. Last, we present photoluminescence results which indicate that both N-2 and H-2 growth methods produce optoelectronic device quality material. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.