The charge-density-wave phase of TiSe(2) was studied by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and resistivity measurements investigating the influence of the band gap size and of a varying population of the conduction band. A gradual suppression of the charge-density-wave-induced electronic superstructure is observed for a variation of the band gap in the ternary compounds TiC(x)Se(2-x) with C=(S,Te) as well as for an occupation of only the conduction band by H(2)O adsorption-induced band bending. These observations point to an optimum band gap and support an excitonic driving force for the charge-density wave.
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