Bending of vacuum level in pn junction

[eyeweyew]

Homework Statement

Does an electron that is just outside the material(near the surface) on the p-side higher than that on the n-side in terms of absolute energy level?

Relevant Equations

N/A

When both isolated p-type and n-type materials join together and form pn-junction as picture attached, the vacuum energy level also bend so it is higher on the the p-side than on the n-side. Does that mean the absolute energy of an electron that is just outside the material on the p-side higher than the absolute energy of an electron that is just outside the material on the n-side?

Reference:
https://physics.stackexchange.com/q...ng-of-vacuum-level-in-semiconductor-junctions

 

[Lord Jestocost]

Maybe, the following article might be of help:

“Fermi level, work function and vacuum level” by Antoine Kahn (Materials Horizons 3 (1), 7-10)

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2015/mh/c5mh00160a