The ability of the "partisan interlayer" technique in adjusting the Schottky barrier height (SBH), through the insertion of an atomic interlayer preferentially bonded to the semiconductor side of a metal-semiconductor interface, was systematically studied in the present work, focusing on the systematic trends, e. g., the variation of electron affinity shift with the species of adsorbate atoms, the variation of SBH on a specific adsorbate-terminated semiconductor (ATS) surface with metal work function, and the variation of SBH on different ATS surfaces with respect to a specific choice of metal, etc. A general conclusion is drawn, emphasizing the validity and the overall effectiveness of the "partisan interlayer" technique. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.