Difference of Oxide Hetero-structure Junctions with Semiconductor Electronic Devices

Charge carrier injection is performed in Pr_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (PCMO) hetero-structure junctions, exhibiting the stability without electric fields and dramatic changes in both resistance and interface barriers, which are entirely different from behaviour of semiconductor devices. The disappearance and reversion of interface barriers suggest that the adjustable resistance switching of such hetero-structure oxide devices should associate with motion of charge carriers across interfaces. The results suggest that injected carriers should be still staying in devices and result in changes of properties, which lead to a carrier self-trapping and releasing picture in a strongly correlated electronic framework. Observations in PCMO and oxygen deficient CeO_2-δ devices show that oxides as functional materials could be used in microelectronics with some novel properties, in which the interface is very important.