INFLUENCE OF INSULATOR VALENCE BAND ON BARRIER CHARACTERISTICS OF SEMIMETAL-INSULATOR-METAL TUNNEL JUNCTIONS
It is shown that a two-band approximation for the electronic structure of an insulating layer makes it possible to explain an anomalous W-like shape of barrier characteristics for semimetal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions. High-pressure tunneling experiments that may definitely answer the question concerning correspondence of tunnel spectrum features to details of the band structure of semiconducting electrodes are proposed and discussed.