Recent studies of the initial stages of silicide formation on silicon have observed a chemical shift of silicide-like valence orbitals. The sign of the shift suggests a silicon-rich ’’silicide’’ close to the silicon substrate smoothly grading to the bulk silicide stoichiometry as the probed region is moved away from the substrate. Such results suggest a re-examination of the boundary values appropriate to a simple Schottky picture of the metal-semiconductor interface. It seems clear that the appropriate metal workfunction is that of the metallic region closest to the silicon-i.e., the region most deviant from the bulk silicide. The absence of reliable experimental values for either stoichiometry or the workfunciton of this region forces us to model both. Assuming the silicon electron affinity and doping to be unaffected by the interface, we conclude that such a silicon excess would reduce the dependence of barrier height upon bulk metal (silicide) workfunction. Further, we conclude that if this metallic layer has a stoichiometry very silicon-rich (∠(metal)Si4) the barrier height of most silicides would be fully explained by this effect and the Schottky picture of the interface.