Fabrication of large periodic arrays of AlGaAs microdisks by laser-interference lithography and selective etching

By laser-interference lithography, reactive-ion etching, and selective wet-chemical etching using a citric acid-based solution, we have fabricated large periodic arrays of AlGaAs microdisks with periods of 4 mum and disk diameters between 1.5 and 2 mum. The arrays are characterized by temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy. Taking into account the below-threshold absorption of the quantum wells inside the disks, we get disk quality factors close to the theoretical maximum value. We demonstrate that our technique allows one also to produce one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally coupled arrays of microdisks. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.