At semiconductor-metal junctions, the Schottky barrier height is generally
fixed by "Fermi-level pinning." We find that when a semiconducting carbon n
anotube is end contacted to a metal (the optimal geometry for nanodevices),
the behavior is radically different. Even when the Fermi level is fully "p
inned" at the interface, the turn-on voltage is that expected for an unpinn
ed junction. Thus the threshold may be adjusted for optimal device performa
nce, which is not possible in planar contacts. Similar behavior is expected
at heterojunctions between nanotubes and semiconductors.