Atomic layer control of metal-insulator behavior in oxide quantum wells integrated directly on silicon

TL;DR

This study demonstrates control over metal-insulator transitions in oxide quantum wells on silicon, revealing how thickness and structure influence electronic behavior, with implications for device applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to manipulate metal-insulator behavior in oxide quantum wells integrated on silicon, highlighting the role of thickness, charge transfer, and strain.

Findings

Quantum wells show Fermi-liquid metallic behavior.

Reducing quantum well thickness induces insulating behavior.

Insulating transition occurs near 1 electron per Ti in SrTiO3.

Abstract

We present electrical and structural characterization of epitaxial LaTiO3/SrTiO3 quantum wells integrated directly on Si(100). The quantum wells exhibit metallic transport described by Fermi-liquid behavior. Carriers arise from both charge transfer from the LaTiO3 to SrTiO3 and oxygen vacancies in the latter. By reducing the thickness of the quantum wells, an enhancement in carrier-carrier scattering is observed, and insulating transport emerges. Consistent with a Mott-driven transition in bulk rare-earth titanates, the insulating behavior is described by activated transport, and the onset of insulating transport occurs near 1 electron per Ti occupation within the SrTiO3 well. We also discuss the role that structure and gradients in strain may play in enhancing the carrier density. The manipulation of metal-insulator behavior in oxides grown directly on Si opens the pathway to harnessing strongly correlated phenomena in device technologies.