Interfacial control of oxygen vacancy doping and electrical conduction in thin film oxide heterostructures

Oxygen vacancies in proximity to surfaces and heterointerfaces in oxide thin film heterostructures have major effects on properties, resulting, for example, in emergent conduction behaviour, large changes in metal-insulator transition temperatures or enhanced catalytic activity. Here we report the discovery of a means of reversibly controlling the oxygen vacancy concentration and distribution in oxide heterostructures consisting of electronically conducting In2O3 films grown on ionically conducting Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 substrates. Oxygen ion redistribution across the heterointerface is induced using an applied electric field oriented in the plane of the interface, resulting in controlled oxygen vacancy (and hence electron) doping of the film and possible orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the film's electrical conduction. The reversible modified behaviour is dependent on interface properties and is attained without cation doping or changes in the gas environment.