The lateral variation in the emission energy of GaAs which had been masklessly grown on V-grooved Si was studied by using cathodoluminescence wavelength imaging. This new experimental approach permitted, for the first time, the direct visualization and quantification of the extreme homogeneity of this novel growth mode and of the lateral variations of Si impurity incorporation into such semiconductor microstructures. It was thus an important method for characterizing micro-patterned opto-electronic monolithic integrated circuits.

M.Grundmann, J.Christen, D.Bimberg, A.Hashimoto, T.Fukunaga, N.Watanabe: Applied Physics Letters, 1991, 58[19], 2090-2