We investigate the effects of roughness at heterointerfaces in the ele
ctronic properties of quantum well structures. AlAs/GaAs/AlAs quantum
wells were considered in which one of the interfaces is planar and the
other has a shape given by an arbitrary function Z(x, y). Adopting a
real-space tight-binding supercell approach to describe the electronic
properties of these structures, the energy and oscillator strength of
the first optical transition are calculated as a function of the inte
rface parameters. For different shape functions Z(x, y) leading to int
erface oscillations of comparable wavelengths, we show that the interf
ace roughness may be taken as the sole relevant parameter affecting th
e studied electronic properties. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.