Confinement-Enhanced Electron Transport across a Metal-Semiconductor Interface

I. B. Altfeder; J. A. Golovchenko; V. Narayanamurti

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.056801

Confinement-Enhanced Electron Transport across a Metal-Semiconductor Interface

I. B. Altfeder, J. A. Golovchenko, and V. Narayanamurti

Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 056801 – Published 11 July 2001

Abstract

We present a combined scanning tunneling microscopy and ballistic electron emission microscopy study of electron transport across an epitaxial $Pb / Si (111)$ interface. Experiments with a self-assembled Pb nanoscale wedge reveal the phenomenon of confinement-enhanced interfacial transport: a proportional increase of the electron injection rate into the semiconductor with the frequency of electron oscillations in the Pb quantum well.

Received 26 December 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.056801

Authors & Affiliations

I. B. Altfeder, J. A. Golovchenko, and V. Narayanamurti

Division of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138