nm-sized metal particles on a semiconductor surface, Schottky model, etc.

In the case of metal particles fabricated on a semiconductor surface, the Fermi levels in the two materials must be coincident. This condition is fulfilled due to charge redistribution near the interface. The available estimates of the transferred charge are based on the models constructed in analogy with the Schottky model describing the interface between a bulk metal and semiconductor. Specifically, the charge supplied or accepted by donors is assumed to be balanced by the charge located on the metal-semiconductor interface. We show that such models are not directly applicable to supported nm-sized metal particles, because in order to have no electric field inside a particle the available charge should be distributed nearly uniformly over the whole particle surface. According to our analysis, the transferred charge is appreciably smaller than that predicted earlier. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.