Importance of interface sampling for extraordinary resistance effects in metal semiconductor hybrids

The magnitude of the extraordinary resistance change in metal semiconductor hybrid structures at 300K under either magnetic field or tensile strain is known to depend strongly on geometry. In particular, there exists a range of optimal geometries for which the change in resistance under the external perturbation is maximized. Here we numerically solve Laplace's equation for circular hybrids in which the local resistivity is perturbed, and we show that within the range of optimal geometries (i) the metal-semiconductor interface is maximally sampled by the injected current and (ii) there is an observed crossover from semiconductor-like to metal-like conduction. Extraordinary resistance changes in metal semiconductor hybrids are thus considered to be interfacial effects.