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Title: Sub-nA spatially resolved conductivity profiling of surface and interface defects in ceria films

Journal Article · · APL materials
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4914943· OSTI ID:22415261
;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3]; ; ;  [4];  [5]
  1. Centre for Nanostructured Media, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom)
  2. CNR-SPIN and Engineering Faculty, Università degli studi Niccolò Cusano, Rome I-00166 (Italy)
  3. CNR-SPIN and DICCI Dipartiment, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, I-00133 Rome (Italy)
  4. Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)
  5. Chemistry Department, Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island 02840 (United States)

Spatial variability of conductivity in ceria is explored using scanning probe microscopy with galvanostatic control. Ionically blocking electrodes are used to probe the conductivity under opposite polarities to reveal possible differences in the defect structure across a thin film of CeO{sub 2}. Data suggest the existence of a large spatial inhomogeneity that could give rise to constant phase elements during standard electrochemical characterization, potentially affecting the overall conductivity of films on the macroscale. The approach discussed here can also be utilized for other mixed ionic electronic conductor systems including memristors and electroresistors, as well as physical systems such as ferroelectric tunneling barriers.

OSTI ID:
22415261
Journal Information:
APL materials, Vol. 3, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2015 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2166-532X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Cited By (1)

Room Temperature Polarization Phenomena in Nanocrystalline and Epitaxial Thin Films of Gd-Doped Ceria Studied by Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy journal January 2018