Space charges and defect concentration profiles at complex oxide interfaces

Abstract

We discuss electronic and ionic defect concentration profiles at the conducting interface between the two wide-band-gap insulators ${\mathrm{LaAlO}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$ (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 $p{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. 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.