Quasi-ballistic electron transport through silicon nanocrystals

Monte Carlo simulation of electron transport through a silicon nanocrystal array is performed to clarify the mechanism of high-energy electron emission from a porous silicon diode. The electronic states are calculated within an empirical tight-binding approximation. In the Monte Carlo simulation, optical-phonon emission and elastic tunneling processes are taken into account. It is found that initial electron acceleration, which is enhanced due to the discrete nature of lower energy levels, plays an essential role in generating high-energy electron emission.