We have recently developed novel concepts for self-compensated hole-doped and electron-doped polymers that can cover an ultrawide workfunction range from about 6.0 eV to 2.4 eV. Self-compensation provides immunity to doping profile diffusion, enabling electrodes that can make ohmic contacts at will to any semiconductor to be fabricated. These electrodes provide unprecedented opportunities to study contacts as the work function is changed in fine steps across the Fermi-level pinning threshold. Using organic photovoltaic cells as sensitive probes of contact resistance, we thus show that an ohmic transition lies a few tenths of an eV beyond the Fermi-level pinning transition. Further driving of work function beyond the ohmic transition coerces Fermi level up the semiconductor density-of-states in the case of ‘soft’ Fermi pinning. This enhances the majority-carrier mobility through its density dependence, increases diode built-in potential, and improves cell performance.