Influence of low energy ballistic electron on the transmittance properties of Au/Si interface studied by ballistic-electron-emission microscope

Conclusions The electronic properties of Au/Si interface are investigated with a homemade ballistic-electron-emission microscope. The spatial distribution of Schottky barrier height is detected. Irreversible changes of ballistic transmittance of local interface with typical size of a few hundred of angstroms in diameter are observed by raising the tip voltage temporarily. Ballistic-electron-emission spectroscopy indicates that the electron transmission probabilities are reduced significantly inside the modified region, which is attributed to the Au-Si intermixing and other chemical reactions occurring at the interfacial layer stimulated by the injected energetic hot electrons.