Resistance switching mechanism of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3−δ thin films

Effects of oxygen vacancies on the electrical transport properties of oxygen stoichiometric La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 and oxygen-deficient La0.8Sr0.2MnO3−δ films have been investigated. The result presents that the oxygen-deficient films annealed in vacuum show obvious increase of resistance and lattice parameter. With the sweeping voltage or temperature increasing, the resistance exhibits obvious bipolar switching effect, no forming process was needed. Oxygen deficiency in the annealed film leads to the formation of a structural disorder in the Mn–O–Mn conduction channel due to the accumulation of oxygen vacancies under high external electric field or temperatures and hence is believed to be responsible for the bipolar resistance switching effect and the enhanced resistivity compared with oxygen stoichiometric La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 film. These results may be important for practical applications in photoelectric or storage devices and point to a useful direction for other oxidizing materials.