The transport properties of edge dislocations comprising a symmetrical 6° [001] tilt grain boundary in weakly acceptor-doped SrTiO3 were investigated by means of various experimental and computational techniques. Oxygen transport along the dislocation array was probed by means of (18)O/(16)O exchange experiments under (standard) oxidising conditions (pO2 = 5 × 10(-1) bar) and also under reducing conditions (pO2 = 7 × 10(-22) bar) at T = 973 K. In both cases, isotope profiles obtained by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) indicated no evidence of fast diffusion along the dislocation array. Charge transport across the dislocation array was probed in equilibrium electrical conductivity measurements as a function of oxygen partial pressure, 10(-23) ≤ pO2/bar ≤ 1 at temperatures of T/K = 950, 1050, 1100. A significant decrease in the conductivity of the bicrystal (relative to that of a single crystal) was observed under oxidising conditions, but not under reducing conditions. These studies were complemented by static lattice simulations employing empirical pair-potentials. The simulations predict, that the tilt boundary comprises two types of dislocation cores, that the formation of oxygen vacancies is energetically preferred at both cores relative to the bulk, and that the migration of oxygen ions along both cores is hindered relative to the bulk. Combining all results and literature reports, we present a comprehensive and consistent picture of the transport properties of dislocations in SrTiO3.

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The demand for highly scalable, low-power devices for data storage and logic operations is strongly stimulating research into resistive switching as a novel concept for future non-volatile memory devices. To meet technological requirements, it is imperative to have a set of material design rules based on fundamental material physics, but deriving such rules is proving challenging. Here, we elucidate both switching mechanism and failure mechanism in the valence-change model material SrTiO3, and on this basis we derive a design rule for failure-resistant devices. Spectromicroscopy reveals that the resistance change during device operation and failure is indeed caused by nanoscale oxygen migration resulting in localized valence changes between Ti4+ and Ti3+. While fast reoxidation typically results in retention failure in SrTiO3, local phase separation within the switching filament stabilizes the retention. Mimicking this phase separation by intentionally introducing retention-stabilization layers with slow oxygen transport improves retention times considerably.

We discuss electronic and ionic defect concentration profiles at the conducting interface between the two wide-band-gap insulators LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 (STO). The profiles are deduced from a thermodynamic model considering a local space charge layer (SCL) originating from charge transfer to the interface region, thus combining electronic and ionic reconstruction mechanisms. We show that the electrical potential confining the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the interface modifies the equilibrium defect concentrations in the SCL. For the n-conducting interface, positively charged oxygen vacancies are depleted within the SCL, while negatively charged strontium vacancies accumulate. Charge compensation within the SCL is achieved by a mixed ionic-electronic interface reconstruction, while the competition between 2DEG and localized ionic defects is controlled by ambient pO 2. The concentration of strontium vacancies increases drastically in oxidizing conditions and exhibits a steep depth profile towards the interface. Accounting for the low cation diffusivity in STO, we also discuss kinetic limitations of cation defect formation and the effect of a partial equilibration of the cation sublattice. We discuss the resulting implications for low temperature transport.

Fabricating (111)-ordered NBT and avoid any A-site vacancies will yield even higher oxide-ion conductivities.