Manifestation of size quantization on protrusions of a rough A$^3$B$^5$ semiconductor surface

Field-electron emission from submicron protrusions of a rough surface of A$^3$B$^5$ semiconductors, including InSb, InAs, and GaAs, has been experimentally investigated. It is shown that the observed peaks in differential tunnel I–V characteristics of the InSb and InAs semiconductor samples can be interpreted as a manifestation of the size quantization of the conduction electron energy spectrum. In GaAs, manifestation of the size quantization in differential tunnel I–V characteristics was not experimentally found. Using the experimental data, the characteristic size of a quantum object formed on protrusions of the rough InSb and InAs surface is determined.