Ballistic electron transport properties across the manganese/silicon interface

Abstract

Ballistic electron transmission is used to investigate electron transport across the Au/Mn/Si and Au/Si interfaces. The Au/Mn/Si spectra exhibit multiple threshold voltages above the Schottky barrier. The energetic spacing of these threshold voltages is found to vary with Mn thickness. These features are believed to be the result of resonant transport. Transmission calculations match the experimental data exceedingly well, but only when one accounts for reflections at the Au/Mn interface. Interestingly, scattering at the Mn/Si interface is over an order of magnitude less than at the Au/Si interface, suggesting a better matching of available states at the Mn/Si interface.