Physics and electronics of the noble-metal/elemental-semiconductor interface formation: A status report

The object of this report is to given a systematic overview of the characteristics of the formation of the noble-metal/elemental-semiconductor interface. The growth mechanisms, the structural and energetic properties of the different phases, are described and discussed in connection with the electronic properties of the system. The interaction of these interfaces with oxygen is also analyzed. Besides individual behavior, general trends in these interfaces formation are derived.