Electric field-induced rearrangement of charged species in metal oxide devices with resistive change: thermodynamic limitations

Hypotheses used to interpret results of electrical measurements on metal oxides which are employed for gas sensors and resistive switching memristors are often based on consideration of drift migration of species (such as oxygen vacancies, chemisorbed ions) under electric field. We offer simple conceptual arguments restricting this approach from the view points of potential minimum principle, ambipolar diffusion and non-equilibrium thermodynamics (Glansdorff-Prigogine criterion).