Cation stoichiometry and electrical transport properties of the NdGaO3/(0 0 1)SrTiO3 interface

The interface formed between two wide band-gap insulators, NdGaO3 and SrTiO3 renders metallic behavior, similar to the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface. The interface conductivity depends strongly upon oxygen pressure during growth of the NdGaO3 film and subsequent annealing in oxygen. The conductivity of a (10 uc) NdGaO3/SrTiO3 film, pulsed laser deposited at low (pO2 = 10−4 mbar) oxygen pressure, vanishes after annealing at 600 °C in oxygen atmosphere. For a similar interface formed at high oxygen pressure (pO2 = 0.3 mbar), the metallic conductivity remains also after post annealing. Medium energy ion spectroscopy (MEIS) in random (non-channeling) direction showed that a substantial part of Ga is missing in films deposited at low pressure, while optimal stoichiometry is approached in films deposited at high pressure. Aligned (channeling) MEIS likewise show that the Ga/Nd ratio approaches the stoichiometric value as the pressure is increased from 10−4 to 0.3 mbar. This is interpreted as due to gallium desorption from a growing film at high temperature and low oxygen pressure while the re-evaporation of gallium is considerably suppressed at higher pressure. We discuss the possible role of stoichiometry on electrical transport properties.