In this work, the influence of the oxide-semiconductor interface on the resistive switching phenomenon was studied in metal gates /Al2O3/InGaAs structures. Different sets of samples were manufactured to produce different qualities of oxide-semiconductor interfaces. The influence of the Al2O3/InGaAs interface on the resistive switching effect was studied by combining electrical characterizations with an analysis of the composition of the oxide/semiconductor interface. The results suggest that a low surface quality results in a decrease of the damage on the conductive filament responsible for the transitions between two resistive states. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.