Charge effects in a metal-semiconductor composite system

Small-sized metallic particles contained as inclusions in an n-type nondegenerate semiconductor are considered. The problem concerning the potential and charge distributions in this composite system is analyzed in the case where regions depleted in carriers are formed around particles due to contact phenomena and these regions substantially overlap one another. The redistribution of charges among very small metallic particles (R ∼ 1–10 nm) is described with due regard for the semiconductor properties of the medium and the volume fraction of particles.