Schottky

Schottky is a German surname that appears in several scientific contexts, often in the names of concepts or devices credited to researchers bearing the name. The most common uses are in physics, crystallography, and mathematics, where multiple ideas carry the Schottky label.

In solid-state physics, the Schottky diode refers to a metal–semiconductor junction rectifier known for its low forward voltage drop and fast switching, making it useful in high-speed and RF applications. The Schottky barrier denotes the energy barrier for charge carriers at such a metal–semiconductor interface, which governs current flow and the device’s electrical characteristics. The Schottky effect describes the field-induced modification of the work function or barrier height at surfaces, influencing emission currents and contact behavior.

In crystallography, the Schottky defect is a type of intrinsic vacancy defect in ionic crystals, where equal numbers of cation and anion sites are vacant, helping to preserve overall charge neutrality.

In thermodynamics and solid-state physics, the Schottky anomaly refers to a peak in the low-temperature specific heat of a crystal that possesses a small set of discrete energy levels, reflecting localized excitations.

In mathematics, Schottky groups are a class of Kleinian groups named after Friedrich Schottky, appearing in the study of complex analysis and hyperbolic geometry.

Overall, the term Schottky highlights a family of ideas across disciplines, typically linked to researchers with that surname and to concepts involving interfaces, defects, or abstract groups.