Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026

Ohmic Contact Fabrication Using a Focused-ion Beam Technique and Electrical Characterization for Layer Semiconductor Nanostructures
Published on: December 5, 2015
The metal-insulator-like and insulator-metal-like behaviors in antimony
1Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
The resistivity and Hall resistivity of semimetallic antimony were measured from 2 to 300 K in magnetic fields up to 14 T. We found that in low field, the resistivity shows metallic behavior. In a modest field, the resistivity decreases to a minimum and then increases with decreasing temperature, showing a metal-insulator-like transition. In high field, the resistivity drops at low temperatures, showing an insulator-metal-like transition. The metal-insulator-like behavior can be explained by the competition of zero field resistivity and magneto-resistance, which is reciprocal to the zero field resistivity. The insulator-metal-like behavior can be explained by the imbalance of two carrier densities which changes the magneto-resistance from being reciprocal to proportional to the zero field resistivity.
Related Concept Videos
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The semiconductor's...
Semiconductors
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
Types Of Superconductors
Band Theory
The energy difference between these bands is known as the band gap.
Conductor, Semiconductor,...
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Bonding in Metals

