Oxygen-induced metal-insulator-transition on single crystalline metal oxide wires

Author(s)

Berengue, O. M. ^[1] ; Amorim, C. A. ^[1] ; Kamimura, H. ^[1] ; Chiquito, A. J. ^[1] ; Leite, E. R. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, NanO LaB, Dept Fis, BR-13565905 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Lab Interdisciplinar Eletroquim & Ceram, Dept Quim, BR-13565905 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Applied Physics; v. 111, n. 1 JAN 1 2012.
• Web of Science Citations: 9

Abstract

In this work we report on the transition from metal to insulator conduction of individual single crystalline In(2)O(3) wires induced by different oxygen concentration during their growth. The transport measurements revealed that the metallic conduction was mainly governed by the acoustic phonon scattering and the insulating character was addressed by the variable range hopping mechanism, which in turn can be considered as a first evidence of the occurrence of an Anderson-like metal-insulator-transition (MIT). The experimental data provided the critical carrier density to be 8 x 10(18) cm(-3) corresponding to a critical impurities spacing of 2.5 nm, which was found to be in agreement with previous reported data on polycrystalline indium oxide samples and with our recent finding on In(2)O(3) semiconducting samples. The approach presented here can be used to grow other metal oxide systems in which oxygen vacancies play a fundamental role for the electron transport features. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. {[}doi: 10.1063/1.3675204] (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 98/14324-0 - Multidisciplinary Center for Development of Ceramic Materials
• Grantee: Elson Longo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC