High temperature conductance characteristics of LaAlO3/SrTiO3-heterostructures under equilibrium oxygen atmospheres

The interface conductance of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures was investigated under high temperature oxygen equilibrium. The dependence of the heterostructure's conductance on oxygen partial pressure (from 10(-22) to 1 bar) and temperature (800 to 1100 K) was compared to the characteristic of SrTiO3 single crystals, which is described in terms of a defect chemistry model. Up to 950 K the equilibrated heterostructures reveal an additional influence of a metallic-like conduction path with a very slight dependence on the oxygen partial pressure. Donor-type interface states which may result from either lattice distortions or A-site cation intermixing during processing are discussed as a possible origin for the exceptional interface conduction of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3457386]