OBSERVATION OF QUANTUM-MECHANICAL REFLECTIONS OF ELECTRONS AT AN IN-SITU GROWN GAAS ALUMINUM SCHOTTKY-BARRIER/

The room temperature observation of quantum mechanical reflections of electrons at an aluminum/gallium arsenide Schottky barrier is reported here. Molecular-beam epitaxy was used to grow an AlAs/GaAs/AlAs doubl e barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) followed by an epitaxial in s itu grown aluminum/gallium arsenide Schottky barrier. This RTD was use d to inject a nearly monoenergetic beam of electrons towards the Schot tky barrier. The measured I-V curves show resonances associated with t he reflections of electrons at the Schottky interface. Understanding t he transport properties of hot electrons at a Schottky barrier may pro ve important for understanding the physics of metal base transistors a nd other device structures that employ the use of epitaxial metals.