Abstract
A method of controlling oxygen vacancy concentration in a semiconducting metal oxide includes exposing a treated surface of a crystalline metal oxide to water at a temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the water in a liquid phase. During the exposure, a portion of the water is adsorbed onto the treated surface and dissociates into atomic oxygen and hydrogen. The atomic oxygen is injected into and diffuses through the crystalline metal oxide, forming isolated oxygen interstitials and oxygen defect complexes. The isolated oxygen interstitials replace oxygen vacancies in the crystalline metal oxide.
| Original language | English (US) |
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| U.S. patent number | 12080801 |
| Filing date | 1/10/22 |
| State | Published - Sep 3 2024 |