Which outcome results inside semiconductor device when an electron's wave function encounters a narrow potential barrier?

💡 Explanation

When an electron's wave function encounters a potential barrier, quantum tunneling occurs because the wave function has a non-zero probability of penetrating the barrier, even if the electron's energy is less than the barrier height, leading to passage through. Therefore quantum tunneling results, rather than scattering, recombination changes, or ballistic transport, which are impacted by different physical mechanisms.

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