Highly transmittive semiconductor base for ballistic electron emission microscopy

R. Heer, J. Smoliner, G. Strasser, E. Gornik

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In this work we introduce a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown InAs layer as base in ballistic electron emission spectroscopy/microscopy (BEES/BEEM). Compared to the commonly used thin metal film as base, the transmission coefficient and the attenuation length can be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude. At low temperatures (T = 100 K), a passivated InAs layer yields an attenuation length of the order of 70-90 nm, instead of the 5 nm obtained on Au films. This feature makes InAs a promising new base material for BEEM. To clarify the mechanism of this behaviour, temperature-dependent BEEM studies on InAs-GaAs heterostructures were performed. Unlike samples with metal base layers, it is found that the transmission coefficient of the InAs base decreases with decreasing temperature. In addition, a strong increasing conduction band offset at the InAs/GaAs interface with decreasing temperature is observed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)517-520
Number of pages4
JournalSurface and Interface Analysis
Volume27
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Electromagnetic wave attenuation
  • Electromagnetic wave transmission
  • Electron emission
  • Electron microscopy
  • Emission spectroscopy
  • Fermi level
  • Interfaces (materials)
  • Molecular beam epitaxy
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Semiconducting gallium arsenide
  • Semiconducting indium compounds
  • Temperature
  • Ballistic electron emission microscopy
  • Conduction band offset
  • Fermi level pinning
  • Highly transmittive semiconductor base
  • Heterojunctions

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