  We explore ballistic regime quantum transport characteristics of
oxide-embedded crossing and kinked silicon nanowires (NWs) within a large-scale
empirical pseudopotential electronic structure framework, coupled to the
Kubo-Greenwood transport analysis. A real-space wave function study is
undertaken and the outcomes are interpreted together with the findings of
ballistic transport calculations. This reveals that ballistic transport edge
lies tens to hundreds of millielectron volts above the lowest unoccupied
molecular orbital, with a substantial number of localized states appearing in
between, as well as above the former. We show that these localized states are
not due to the oxide interface, but rather core silicon-derived. They manifest
the wave nature of electrons brought to foreground by the reflections
originating from NW junctions and bends. Hence, we show that the crossings and
kinks of even ultraclean Si NWs possess a conduction band tail without a
recourse to atomistic disorder.
