Dislocations were used as so-called atomic saws in order to cut a 5nm quantum well up into a multiple quantum wire structure. Direct observations of these cuts in the volume were performed by means of transmission electron microscopy; using cross-sectional specimens that had been thinned perpendicularly to the quantum wire axis. This thinning procedure, which involved electron-beam lithography and reactive-ion etching, permitted a statistical analysis to be made of the distances between neighboring cuts, and of the heights of cuts. This analysis revealed the formation of coupled quantum wires, with a width of 18nm, which were free of any lateral roughness over lengths of 100nm.

L.Ressier, J.P.Peyrade, C.Vieu: Journal of Applied Physics, 1997, 81[6], 2596-600