Electric-field effects on reactions between oxides

Thin films of In2O3 and Fe2O3 have been deposited on (001) MgO using pulsed-laser deposition (PLD). These thin-film diffusion couples were then reacted in an applied electric field at elevated temperatures. In this type of solid-state reaction, both the reaction rate and the interfacial stability are affected by the transport properties of the reacting ions. The electric field provides a very large external driving force that influences the diffusion of the cations in the constitutive layers. This induced ionic current causes changes in the reaction rates, interfacial stability and distribution of the phases. Through the use of electron microscopy techniques the reaction kinetics and interface morphology have been investigated in these spinel-forming systems, to gain a better understanding of the influence of an electric field on solid-state reactions.