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Quantum mechanical analysis of the elastic propagation of electrons in the Au/Si system: application to Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy

K. Reuter·P. L. de Andres·F. J. Garcia-Vidal·D. Sestovic·F. Flores·K. Heinz
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Abstract

We present a Green's function approach based on a LCAO scheme to compute the elastic propagation of electrons injected from a STM tip into a metallic film. The obtained 2D current distribution in real and reciprocal space furnish a good representation of the elastic component of Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy (BEEM) currents. Since this component accurately approximates the total current in the near threshold region, this procedure allows --in contrast to prior analyses-- to take into account effects of the metal band structure in the modeling of these experiments. The Au band structure, and in particular its gaps appearing in the [111] and [100] directions provides a good explanation for the previously irreconcilable results of nanometric resolution and similarity of BEEM spectra on both Au/Si(111) and Au/Si(100).

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K. Reuter, P. L. de Andres, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, D. Sestovic, F. Flores, K. Heinz. 1998-05-01. Quantum mechanical analysis of the elastic propagation of electrons in the Au/Si system: application to Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.58.14036

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