Any transition from a
semiconductor to a metallic state under the influence of a temperature or pressure change or both.
Examples:
- Ti2O3: band-edge crossing in a semiconductor to semimetal transition.
- SmS: localized level crossing a band edge. In SmS hydrostatic pressure above the critical pressure
broadens the
Sm-5d band to make the band edge cross the
Sm-
level.
-
A localized-itinerant transition.
-
A switching transition.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 577
(Definitions of terms relating to phase transitions of the solid state (IUPAC Recommendations
1994))
on page 590