CATHODOLUMINESCENCE IMAGING OF PATTERNED QUANTUM WELL HETEROSTRUCTURES GROWN ON NONPLANAR SUBSTRATES BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY

We report cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of patterned GaAs/AlAs quantum well (QW) heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy on periodically corrugated substrates. Faceting and surface diffusion during crystal growth result in significant lateral variations in QW thickness which translate quantum size effects into lateral band-gap patterning. The CL images directly display lateral periodic modulation in quantum well thickness and indicate the existence of two lateral potential wells formed at the bottom and apex of corrugations. Emission wavelengths are in agreement with TEM data on the patterned structures. Such periodic patterned QW heterostructures should be useful for the realization of arrayed one- and zero-dimensional semiconductor quantum structures, particularly lateral superlattice heterostructures.