Electric-pulse induced resistance hysteresis switching loops for Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 perovskite oxide films were found to exhibit an additional sharp so-called shuttle tail peak around the negative pulse maximum for films deposited in an O-deficient ambient. The temporal resistance relaxation of this peak, as well as resistance relaxation in the transition regions of the resistance hysteresis loop, revealed evidence of O diffusion under electric pulsing and supported a proposed O-diffusion model, involving O-vacancy pile-up at the metal electrode interface region, as being the active process for the non-volatile resistance switching effect in transition-metal oxides.

Evidence for an Oxygen Diffusion Model for the Electric Pulse Induced Resistance Change Effect in Transition-Metal Oxides. Y.B.Nian, J.Strozier, N.J.Wu, X.Chen, A.Ignatiev: Physical Review Letters, 2007, 98[14], 146403 (3pp)