Resistive switching in ceramic multiferroic Bi0.9Ca0.1FeO3

Abstract We report resistive switching effects in polycrystalline samples of the multiferroic Bi 0.9 Ca 0.1 FeO 3 with silver electrodes. Mossbauer spectroscopy shows that upon Ca-doping the Fe remains in a 3+ valence state, suggesting charge compensation through the creation of large amounts of oxygen vacancies. Electrical characterization shows that the oxide/metal resistance can be switched between high and low resistance states by applying voltage pulses. This process was shown to be forming free and a strong relaxation after switching was found. We rationalize our results by considering oxygen vacancies migration to and from the metal–oxide interface, resulting in variations of the Schottky potential barrier height that modulate the interface resistance.