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Field-induced water electrolysis switches an oxide semiconductor from an insulator to a metal

Author

Listed:
  • Hiromichi Ohta

    (Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa
    PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda)

  • Yukio Sato

    (Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center)

  • Takeharu Kato

    (Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center)

  • SungWng Kim

    (Frontier Research Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Kenji Nomura

    (Frontier Research Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Yuichi Ikuhara

    (Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center
    Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo)

  • Hideo Hosono

    (Frontier Research Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Water is composed of two strong electrochemically active agents, H+ and OH− ions, but has not been used as an active electronic material in oxide semiconductors. In this study, we demonstrate that water-infiltrated nanoporous glass electrically switches an oxide semiconductor from insulator to metal. We fabricated a field-effect transistor structure on an oxide semiconductor, SrTiO3, using water-infiltrated nanoporous glass—amorphous 12CaO·7Al2O3—as the gate insulator. Positive gate voltage, electron accumulation, water electrolysis and electrochemical reduction occur successively on the SrTiO3 surface at room temperature. This leads to the formation of a thin (~3 nm) metal layer with an extremely high electron concentration (1015–1016 cm−2), which exhibits exotic thermoelectric behaviour. The electron activity of water as it infiltrates nanoporous glass may find many useful applications in electronics or in energy storage.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiromichi Ohta & Yukio Sato & Takeharu Kato & SungWng Kim & Kenji Nomura & Yuichi Ikuhara & Hideo Hosono, 2010. "Field-induced water electrolysis switches an oxide semiconductor from an insulator to a metal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 1(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:1:y:2010:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1112
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1112
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    Cited by:

    1. Yosuke Isoda & Thanh Ngoc Pham & Ryotaro Aso & Shuri Nakamizo & Takuya Majima & Saburo Hosokawa & Kiyofumi Nitta & Yoshitada Morikawa & Yuichi Shimakawa & Daisuke Kan, 2025. "Stabilization of oxygen vacancy ordering and electrochemical-proton-insertion-and-extraction-induced large resistance modulation in strontium iron cobalt oxides Sr(Fe,Co)Oy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.

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