If nothing else this is amusing. I downloaded this datasheet a few days ago and imagine somebody can explain how this is possible.

 

Not possible, of course.
Looks like a typo, as it lists a standard germanium junction diode, but the description is for a silicon Schottky barrier diode.

 

Metal silicon junction at germanium diode.

 

A metal to germainum junction would be a Schottky diode, which is what I believe the original 1N60 and the 1N34 (among many others) were but the datasheet says "Metal silicon junction..."

 

So you are saying they are point-contact metal-germanium junction Schottky diodes?

 

I think so. Hold an old 1N34 up to the light and you can see a little wire going from one lead to the bit of germanium. I cannot confirm this, as I said "I believe..."



BUT then in a Wikipedia entry it says:

A pointed metal wire is placed in contact with an n-type semiconductor. Some metal migrates into the semiconductor to make a small p-type region around the contact.​

So, the 1N34 is in fact a PN junction device.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diodehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode