Thermionic and Tunnel Currents in Film-Covered Symmetric Contacts

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Abstract
For calculating the current through a film‐covered symmetric contact at a very small applied voltage, one can approximate the influence of the film by representing it as a rectangular potential barrier, with the height ψ volt=work function for emission of electrons from the metal into the film, and with the width s=thickness of the film; ψ depends on s. The tunnel current I1 flows below ψ; the thermonic current I2 flows above ψ. It is shown that, at a certain temperature Tc(ψ, s), I2 begins to exceed I1. In the case of a very small ψ and a relatively great s, Tc can appear below room temperature.

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