BALLISTIC-ELECTRON-EMISSION MICROSCOPY ON QUANTUM WIRES

In this paper ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) studies on quantum wire structures are reported. Ln these experiments the quantu m wires are directly observed both in sample topography and the BEEM c urrent images. Especially at liquid helium temperatures, the BEEM curr ent is found to be enhanced if the ballistic electrons are injected di rectly into the wire region. In the etched areas between the wires. th e effective surface barrier height is found to be larger than on the w ires. From the low temperature BEEM spectra we conclude, that diffusiv e scattering processes dominate the carrier transport across the Au/Ga As interface.