  The hot-electron attenuation length in Ni is measured as a function of energy
across two different Schottky interfaces viz. a polycrystalline Si(111)/Au and
an epitaxial Si(111)/NiSi_2 interface using ballistic electron emission
microscopy (BEEM). For similarly prepared Si(111) substrates and identical Ni
thickness, the BEEM transmission is found to be lower for the polycrystalline
interface than for the epitaxial interface. However, in both cases, the
hot-electron attenuation length in Ni is found to be the same. This is
elucidated by the temperature-independent inelastic scattering, transmission
probabilities across the Schottky interface, and scattering at dissimilar
interfaces.
