Electrically controlled transformation of memristive titanates into mesoporous titanium oxides via incongruent sublimation

Perovskites such as SrTiO₃, BaTiO₃, and CaTiO₃ have become key materials for future energy-efficient memristive data storage and logic applications due to their ability to switch their resistance reversibly upon application of an external voltage. This resistance switching effect is based on the evolution of nanoscale conducting filaments with different stoichiometry and structure than the original oxide. In order to design and optimize memristive devices, a fundamental understanding of the interaction between electrochemical stress, stoichiometry changes and phase transformations is needed. Here, we follow the approach of investigating these effects in a macroscopic model system. We show that by applying a DC voltage under reducing conditions on a perovskite slab it is possible to induce stoichiometry polarization allowing for a controlled decomposition related to incongruent sublimation of the alkaline earth metal starting in the surface region. This way, self-formed mesoporous layers can be generated which are fully depleted by Sr (or Ba, Ca) but consist of titanium oxides including TiO and Ti₃O with tens of micrometre thickness. This illustrates that phase transformations can be induced easily by electrochemical driving forces.