  The newly emerging class of atomically-thin materials has shown a high
potential for the realisation of novel electronic and optoelectronic
components. Amongst this family, semiconducting transition metal
dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are of particular interest. While their band gaps are
compatible with those of conventional solid state devices, they present a wide
range of exciting new properties that is bound to become a crucial ingredient
in the future of electronics. To utilise these properties for the prospect of
electronics in general, and long-wavelength-based photodetectors in particular,
the Schottky barriers formed upon contact with a metal and the contact
resistance that arises at these interfaces have to be measured and controlled.
We present experimental evidence for the formation of Schottky barriers as low
as 10 meV between MoTe2 and metal electrodes. By varying the electrode work
functions, we demonstrate that Fermi level pinning due to metal induced gap
states at the interfaces occurs at 0.14 eV above the valence band maximum. In
this configuration, thermionic emission is observed for the first time at
temperatures between 40 K and 75 K. Finally, we discuss the ability to tune the
barrier height using a gate electrode.
