Band bending

In solid-state physics, band bending refers to the process in which the electronic band structure in a material curves up or down near a junction or interface. It does not involve any physical (spatial) bending. When the electrochemical potential of the free charge carriers around an interface of a semiconductor is dissimilar, charge carriers are transferred between the two materials until an equilibrium state is reached whereby the potential difference vanishes.^[1] The band bending concept was first developed in 1938 when Mott, Davidov and Schottky all published theories of the rectifying effect of metal-semiconductor contacts.^[2][3] The use of semiconductor junctions sparked the computer revolution in 1990.^{[clarification needed]} Devices such as the diode, the transistor, the photocell and many more still play an important role in technology.