LATERAL QUANTIZATION EFFECTS IN MODULATED BARRIER INGAAS INP QUANTUM WIRES/

We have used a simple approach to fabricate buried InGaAs/InP quantum wires with widths down to 15 nm. Combining high resolution electron be am lithography and selective wet chemical etching only the InP cap lay er of an InGaAs/InP quantum well is locally removed. InGaAs surface qu antum wells are formed in the etched parts of the samples, where the e nergy band discontinuity of the quantum well is replaced by the high v acuum barrier. Therefore a lateral potential barrier is induced, which confines the carriers to the InP covered wire regions. In addition, t he lateral potential can be strongly increased by a selective thermal intermixing step. The luminescence spectra of the wires show significa nt lateral quantization effects with energy shifts up to 13 meV and hi gh quantum efficiencies up to room temperature. (C) 1995 American Inst itute of Physics.