X-ray scattering from a single-quantum-well heterostructure

The authors have observed interference fringes in x-ray scattering from a single-quantum-well structure of InGaAs, 230 AA thick, in InP. The interference fringe pattern is amenable to a straightforward physical interpretation and contains information on the lattice parameter strain, the thickness and interface roughness of the quantum well. The latter two parameters can be measured with an accuracy of several angstroms. The sensitivity of the experiment is enhanced by the use of glancing-incidence scattering geometry and a triple-crystal x-ray diffractometer.