Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales (CSIC), Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (SPAIN)
Dept. de Fisica Teorica de la Materia Condensada (UAM), E-28049 Madrid (SPAIN)
Lehrstuhl für Festkörperphysik, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany)
Institut für Theoretische Physik, Karl-Franzens- Universität, A-8010 Graz (AUSTRIA)

A theoretical analysis of Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy:
band structure effects and attenuation lengths.

P.L. de Andres, K. Reuter, F.J. Garcia-Vidal, F. Flores, U. Hohenester, P. Kocevar

October 16, 1997

Abstract:

Using a quantum mechanical approach, we compute the BEEM current distribution in reciprocal space to compare experimental and theoretical spectroscopic I(V) curves. In the elastic limit, this formalism is a "parameter free" representation of the problem. At low voltages, low temperatures, and for thin metalic layers, the elastic approximation is enough to explain the experiments (ballistic conditions). At low temperatures, inelastic effects can be taken into account approximately by introducing an effective electron-electron lifetime as an imaginary part in the energy. Ensemble Monte Carlo calculations have also been performed to obtain BEEM currents in good agreement with the previous approach.

PACS numbers: 61.16.Ch, 72.10.Bg, 73.20.At
REF.: Acta Phys. Pol. (to be published)

• Introduction
• Theory for the electron propagation through the metal base
• Real space and -space current distributions
• Ballistic currents. Transmission through the metal-semiconductor barrier
• Electron-electron scattering
• Conclusions
• References
• About this document ...