Abstract: In this dissertation, characterization of linear and non-linear electron transport in quantum point contacts (QPCs) realized by a hybrid combination of etching and gating is performed. QPCs formed by the split gate method typically result in one-dimensional (1D) subband energy values of the order of approximately 1 milli-electron-volt (meV). Here, however, experimental proof for the realization of large 1D subband energies (as much as 7 meV) in hybrid QPCs is provided. The strong electron confinement generated in these hybrid QPCs leads to the observation of robust 1D quantum-transport effects. Clear conductance quantization is found, and persists to much higher temperatures than usually observed in split-gate structures, providing the first indication that highly effective confinement of carriers is achieved in these hybrid QPCs. Measurements at approximately 1.7 Kelvin (K) also show the clear presence of additional plateau features at 0.2 × (fundamental conductance) and 1.7 × (fundamental conductance), along with the widely observed feature at 0.7 × (fundamental conductance). The temperature dependence of the linear conductance shows that the quantized features only disappear above 16 K, while the 0.7 feature persists to above 30 K. This is a much more robust behavior than that reported for split-gate devices. For a quantitative measure of the 1D subband spacing in these QPCs standard 'bias spectroscopy' using the transconductance was performed. This yielded values for the subband separation as large as 7 meV, significantly larger than the values found for split-gate devices. For a more detailed analysis of the non-linear transport in these devices, a simple model based on the concepts of the Landauer formula and the transmission of carriers through a saddle barrier is developed. In order to explain the experimental results, this model shows that it is necessary to take proper account of bias-induced asymmetries in the self-consistent potential barrier within the device.