Mott–Schottky plot
In semiconductor electrochemistry, a Mott–Schottky plot describes the reciprocal of the square of capacitance formula_1 versus the potential difference between bulk semiconductor and bulk electrolyte. In many theories, and in many experimental measurements, the plot is linear. The use of Mott–Schottky plots to determine system properties (such as flatband potential, doping density or Helmholtz capacitance) is termed Mott–Schottky analysis. Consider the semiconductor/electrolyte junction shown in Figure 1. Under applied bias voltage formula_2 the size of the depletion layer formula_3 is formula_4 (1) Here formula_5 is the permittivity, formula_6 is the elementary charge, formula_7  is the doping density, formula_8 is the built-in potential. The depletion region contains positive charge compensated by ionic negative charge at the semiconductor surface (in the liquid electrolyte side). Charge separation forms a dielectric capacitor at the interface of the metal/semiconductor contact. We calculate the capacitance for an electrode area formula_9 as formula_10 (2) replacing formula_11 as obtained from equation 1, the result of the capacitance per unit area is formula_12 (3) a equation describing the capacitance of a capacitor constructed of two parallel plates both of area formula_9 separated by a distance formula_14. Replacing equation (3) in  (1) we obtain the result formula_15 (4). Therefore, a representation of the reciprocal square capacitance, is a linear function of the voltage, which constitutes the Mott–Schottky plot as shown in Fig. 1c. The measurement of the Mott–Schottky plot brings us two important pieces of information. In liquid junction the reference of potential is normally a standard reference electrode. In solid junctions, we can take as a reference the metal Fermi level, if the work function is known, which provides a full energy diagram in the physical scale. The Mott–Schottky plot is sensitive to the electrode surface in  contact with solution, see Figure 2. A more accurate analysis considering the statistics of electrons provides the following result for the size of the depletion region formula_16(7) The derivative gives the doping at the edge of the depletion region, formula_17. This method only provides a spatial resolution of the order of a Debye length formula_18systems where more than one process gives a substantial kinetic response, it is necessary to adopt Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy that resolves the different capacitances in the system. For example, in the presence of a surface state at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface, the spectra show two arcs , one at low frequency and another one at high frequency. The depletion capacitance leading to Mott–Schottky plot is situated in the high frequency arc, as the depletion capacitance is a dielectric capacitance. On the other hand, the low frequency feature corresponds to the chemical capacitance of the surface states. The surface state charging produces a plateau as indicated in Fig. 1d. Similarly, defect levels in the gap affect the changes of capacitance and conductance. Another widely used method to scan deep levels in Schottky barriers is termed admittance spectroscopy and consists on measuring the capacitance at a fixed frequency  while varying the temperature. Surface photovoltage technique is used to determine the position of the band edges.