Stacking-fault pairs in quantum-well structures were found to introduce an enhanced radiative recombination which was visible as pairs of bright spots in microphotoluminescence intensity maps. Atomic-force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (plan view and cross-sectional) revealed that a widening and bending of quantum wells occurred when they were intersected by Frank-type stacking faults. Enlargement of the well width, by up to 12 bilayers, led to efficient exciton localization. The localizing potential which was related to Shockley-type stacking-fault pairs was much shallower.

Radiative Recombination Centers Induced by Stacking-Fault Pairs in ZnSe/ZnMgSSe Quantum-Well Structures D.Lüerssen, R.Bleher, H.Richter, T.Schimmel, H.Kalt, A.Rosenauer, D.Litvinov, A.Kamilli, D.Gerthsen, K.Ohkawa, B.Jobst, D.Hommel: Applied Physics Letters, 1999, 75[25], 3944-6