Ohmic Probe Contacts to CdS Crystals

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Abstract
Wire probe contacts are found to be diodic upon first touching CdS, but can be permanently changed from diodic to ohmic by the passage of a moderately intense electric current pulse. This result obtained for ten metals, which work-function-wise bracket CdS, supports the idea that an exhaustion barrier exists on the surface and contradicts proposals that ohmic contact is solely dependent upon the relative metal and CdS work functions. It is postulated that the current pulse punctures the exhaustion barrier, thereby permitting electrons to tunnel more freely and in greater numbers.