Temperature-dependent studies of inas base layers for ballistic electron emission microscopy

InAs is a promising base material for ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM), since in this material the attenuation length of ballistic electrons is more than one order of magnitude larger than for metal base layers and the corresponding transmission factor for ballistic electrons is strongly enhanced. In this work, temperature-dependent BEEM studies on InAs base layers grown on GaAs substrates are performed. Unlike on samples with metal base layers, it is found that the transmission coefficient of the InAs base decreases with decreasing temperature. In addition, a strongly increasing conduction band offset at the InAs-GaAs interface with decreasing temperature is also observed. © 1999 The American Physical Society.