The contact formation of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films and SrTiO3 single crystals with Cu and Au have been studied using X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy with in situ sample preparation. During metal deposition a partial reduction of the substrate occurs. The Fermi level at the interface is found to be close to the conduction band minimum, indicating small Schottky barrier heights (< 0.2 eV). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.