Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Ga0.47In0.53As/InP Multiquantum Well Structures in Air

Abstract
Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images of Ga0.47In0.53As/InP multiquantum well (MQW) structures in air showed a corrugated pattern. This corrugation turned out to be not geometrical but rather to arise from a difference in tunneling conductance between the GaInAs and the InP layers. The amplitude of the corrugations was affected by various factors such as contamination and atmospheric humidity.