We demonstrate that photoluminescence from single quantum well structures grown on indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) compositionally graded buffers on gallium arsenide substrates can be substantially improved by using very high substrate temperatures during the growth of the graded buffer. Due to the high growth temperature, deepened crosshatches develop on top of the graded buffers as the substrate temperature increased, which have consequences for subsequent quantum well growth. It was also observed that indium incorporation becomes a variable of many factors, and has to be calibrated empirically. Vastly higher arsenic pressure is also necessary to keep the growth front arsenic stable. High quality quantum well structures can only be grown on top of the graded buffers in a narrow range of substrate temperatures around 450 degrees C, much lower than what one would typically use for the pseudomorphic InGaAs growth on the InP substrates. (c) 2005 American Vacuum Society.