Systematic observation of strain-induced lateral quantum confinement in GaAs quantum well wires prepared by chemical dry etching

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Abstract
HCl radical beam etching has been used to produce strain‐induced lateral confinement in a GaAs quantum well. This confinement was generated in the GaAs quantum well by radical beam etching a grating pattern into a pseudomorphic, strained layer of In0.35Ga0.65As which overlies the GaAs quantum well. The photoluminescence spectrum showed two peaks, corresponding to the GaAs quantum well both beneath the strained layer and in regions where the strained overlayer had been etched away. The peak due to strain‐induced confinement displayed a redshift that increases with etch time; the maximum shift observed was 20 meV. The after‐etch photoluminescence intensity and the systematic peak shift with etch time are indicators of the degree of control and low‐damage nature of the etch process used.