High-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in $\gamma$-Al$_2$O$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to explore the origin and high mobility of 2DEG in $\gamma$-Al$_2$O$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures, revealing the roles of interface composition and oxygen vacancies.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical analysis of the conditions for 2DEG formation and high mobility in GAO/STO heterostructures, highlighting the effects of oxygen vacancies and interface structure.

Findings

2DEG forms at Al and TiO$_2$ interface layers.

Critical thickness exists for 2DEG without oxygen vacancies.

High mobility is due to small electron effective mass.

Abstract

The origin of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in the interface between $\gamma$-Al$_2$O$_3$ (GAO) and SrTiO$_3$ (STO) (GAO/STO) as well as the reason for the high mobility of the 2DEG is still in debate. In this paper, the electronic structures of [001]-oriented GAO/STO heterostructures with and without oxygen vacancies are investigated by first-principle calculations based on the density functional theory. The calculation results show that the necessary condition for the formation of 2DEG is that the GAO/STO heterostructure has the interface composed of Al and TiO$_2$ layers. For the heterostructure without oxygen vacancy on the GAO side, the 2DEG originates from the polar discontinuity near the interface, and there is a critical thickness for the GAO film, below which the 2DEG would not present and the heterostructure exhibits insulator characteristics. For the case that only the GAO film contains oxygen vacancies, the polar discontinuity near the interface disappears, but the 2DEG still exists. In this situation, the critical thickness of the GAO film for 2DEG formation does not exist either. When the GAO film and STO substrate both contain oxygen vacancies, it is found that the 2DEG retains as long as the oxygen vacancies on the STO side are not very close to the interface. The low-temperature mobilities of the 2DEGs in these GAO/STO heterostructures are considered to be governed by the ionized impurity scattering, and $\sim$3 to $\sim$11 times as large as that in LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterojunction. The high mobility of the 2DEG is mainly due to the small electron effective mass in GAO/STO heterostructure.