The strain field of an AlOx current aperture, fabricated by selective oxidation of an AlAs/GaAs layer buried in a circular GaAs mesa, is studied. Components of the strain tensor for a thin cross-section lamella cut out of such a structure are evaluated from dark-field electron holography, proving the validity of simulations based on linear elasticity. Simulation of the entire structure is utilized to prepare mesa surfaces with tailored strain fields for controlling the nucleation site of InGaAs quantum dots. The experimental proof of strain simulations allows estimating the magnitude of piezoelectricity, yielding for the studied mesa structures a piezoelectric potential up to 50 mV.