Creation of a two-dimensional electron gas at an oxide interface on silicon

In recent years, reversible control over metal-insulator transition has been shown, at the nanoscale, in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed at the interface between two complex oxides. These materials have thus been suggested as possible platforms for developing ultrahigh-density oxide nanoelectronics. A prerequisite for the development of these new technologies is the integration with existing semiconductor electronics platforms. Here, we demonstrate room-temperature conductivity switching of 2DEG nanowires formed at atomically sharp LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 (LAO/STO) heterointerfaces grown directly on (001) Silicon (Si) substrates. The room-temperature electrical transport properties of LAO/STO heterointerfaces on Si are comparable with those formed from a SrTiO 3 bulk single crystal. The ability to form reversible conducting nanostructures directly on Si wafers opens new opportunities to incorporate ultrahigh-density oxide nanoelectronic memory and logic elements into well-established Si-based platforms. The integration of oxide nanoelectronics with silicon platforms is a necessary step for the fabrication of ultrahigh-density devices. Here, the authors grow a LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 interface directly on silicon, and show the reversible creation of a two-dimensional electron gas confined within nanowires located on the surface.