Characterization of lateral semiconductor nanostructures by means of x-ray grazing-incidence diffraction

Abstract
Free-standing wire arrays prepared by holographic exposure and wet chemical deep etching on a vertically arranged GaAs/GaInAs/GaAs [001] single quantum well structure were characterized by x-raygrazing incidence diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Using a grazing angle of α i ≈0.05° the diffracted intensity stems primarily from the surface grating. It’s periodicity (D≈480 nm ) was determined close to the (−220) and (220) Bragg reflection being parallel and perpendicular to the orientation of wires, respectively. The average wire width [ (21.6±1.5) nm and (96.6±1.5) nm , respectively] and the coherence length of the grating (ξ≈2 μ m ) were obtained via Fourier transformation of the (220) shape function.