Structure of serpentine superlattice quantum‐wire arrays determined by transmission electron microscopy

The structure of serpentine superlattice (SSL) quantum‐wire arrays is analyzed with transmission electron diffraction and microscopy. The lateral SSL barriers are nominally formed as a digital alloy of (AlAs)r(GaAs)p partial layers in the vertical direction. Micrographs demonstrate the predicted SSL shape and its insensitivity to systematic deposition rate errors. A diffraction pattern is synthesized to explain diffraction features and order‐sensitive SSL images, which are compared with chemical contrast images. The lateral structure is observed to be incompletely segregated into wells and barriers. The length of the quantum wires is estimated to be at least on the order of 100 nm.