Au/ZnSe contacts characterized by ballistic electron emission microscopy

Ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) has been performed on Au/ZnSe (001) diodes prepared in ultra high vacuum. An average barrier height (BH) of 1.37 eV is found for Au/n-ZnSe in close agreement with previously published values for diodes measured by conventional techniques. The BH distribution is relatively narrow, from 1.32 to 1.43 eV, consistent with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy which indicates that the interface is abrupt, and without reaction products. These results differ from those reported for BEEM measurements on chemically etched Au/ZnSe diodes. [R. Coratger et al., Phys. Rev. B. 51, 2357 (1995)].