Patent ID: 8871670

Claim:
A method for controlling a concentration of O interstitials or complexes thereof in a metal oxide structure, said method comprising the steps of: providing said metal oxide structure having an exposed surface and a bulk, wherein said exposed surface is an atomically clean surface; treating said exposed surface of said metal oxide structure with a surface modifying agent, wherein interaction between said surface modifying agent and said metal oxide structure forms molecules or atoms on the exposed surface providing defect control groups on said exposed surface; generating a selected surface abundance of said molecules or atoms on said exposed surface; and annealing said exposed surface populated by said selected surface abundance of said molecules or atoms at a temperature of at least 500° C. under a partial pressure of oxygen gas to provide a source of O atoms from said exposed surface to the bulk of said metal oxide structure; thereby controlling the concentration of said O interstitials or complexes thereof in said metal oxide structure.