Ballistic electron emission microscopy for nonepitaxial metal/semiconductor interfaces

Abstract

We present a model of ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) that includes elastic scattering at nonepitaxial metal/semiconductor interfaces. In the weak scattering limit, the model reduces to the traditional description of BEEM. In the strong scattering limit, the model quantitatively describes (1) the relative magnitudes of BEEM currents into the Γ, L, and X channels for Au/GaAs(100); (2) the relative magnitudes of the currents for Au/Si(100) and -(111); (3) the relative magnitudes of currents for Au/GaAs and Au/Si; and (4) the absolute magnitudes of the currents for these materials.