Abstract
The emergence of a 2D electron gas (2DEG) on the (001) surface of oxygen-deficient strontium titanate (SrTiO3−δ) is investigated. Using in situ soft X-ray spectroscopy and effective mass modeling, a series of quantitative band diagrams are developed to describe the evolution of near-surface and bulk carrier concentrations, downward band bending, and Fermi level along a lateral gradient of oxygen vacancies formed on SrTiO3−δ by direct-current resistive heating under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Electrons are accumulated over a 3 nm region near the surface, confined within a potential well with saturated 300 meV downward band bending. The relation between Fermi levels and carrier concentrations near the surface suggests the density of states near the surface is much lower than the bulk density of states, which is consistent with the quantum-confined subbands of a 2DEG. The quantitative relationship between the surface and bulk electronic structures developed in this work provides a guide for precise engineering of the oxygen-vacancy-induced 2DEG in SrTiO3.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 1800460 |
Journal | Advanced Electronic Materials |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- SrTiO surface
- effective mass modeling
- electronic structure
- in-situ x-ray spectroscopy
- oxygen vacancies
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials