Collisional broadening effect in vacuum emission of hot electrons from SiO2: The role of non‐polar optical phonon scattering

The energy distribution function of hot electrons emitted from a 13 nm SiO2 layer is measured through vacuum emission experiments up to 4 eV. The results evidence the presence of carriers in an energy region well above the ballistic threshold. A Monte Carlo simulation of carrier transport in the presence of non‐polar scattering and collisional broadening is in qualitative agreement with the experiments thus providing a value of 3.1 × 109 eV/cm for the deformation potential and a direct indication of collisional broadening effect in high‐field transport of electrons in SiO2.