We report on the photoluminescence properties and the hydrogen depth distributions of plasma treated GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) structures. Specimens grown by molecular beam epitaxy were exposed to a deuterium plasma under different temperature‐time conditions. Photoluminescence measurements were made at 4.2 K, using low and high excitation powers, on the hydrogenated samples and on untreated partners. A decrease in the linewidth of the free exciton and an increase in the peak intensity were observed in specimens following plasma treatment. In general, each of the hydrogenated MQW specimens displayed an increase in luminescence efficiency and a diminution of impurity‐related peaks after hydrogenation. Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements yielded depth distributions for2H and Al atoms. In samples having the best luminescence, the2H was nearly constant throughout the MQW region, at about 1018cm−3.