Correlation between nanostructure and electron emission characteristics of ballistic electron surface-emitting device (BSD)

The operation of ballistic electron emitters based on nanocrystallised poly-silicon (NPS) films has been analyzed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalyzer (EDX). The results of nanostructural analyses indicate that the existence of interconnected nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) is a key factor for the efficient ballistic electron emission.