InGaAs quantum wires and wells on V-grooved InP substrates

We report on the fabrication and characterization of In1-xGaxAs quantum structures on V-grooved InP substrates grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The geometry of the quantum wells and wires was determined by scanning-electron microscopy and atomic-force microscopy. We optimized the InP buffer-layer thickness in order to obtain narrow quantum wires. The optical properties were studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL peaks of the different quantum structures can be identified by a self-aligned masking process. The interpretation of the PL measurements was verified by means of cathodoluminescence measurements with high spatial resolution. Transition energies were evaluated from the geometry of the quantum wells and quantum wires. The composition of the InGaAs was used as a parameter for the calculations. By comparison of the measured transition energies with the evaluated ones we determined the Ga content of the quantum structures. We found the quantum wires nearly lattice matched to the InP substrate and the quantum wells on {111} planes rich in In (1-x=71%). (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)00621-0].