Metallic SrNbO₃ perovskite epitaxial films for transparent electrode

Thin films of SrNbO₃ perovskite has been emerged as a potential contender for substituting Tin doped Indium Oxide (ITO) for next generation transparent electrode material due to its low resistivity (~10^-5 Ω-cm) with high transparency (~65%) and carrier concentration (~10²² cm^-3). Moreover, the electrical conductivity can be made anisotropic by tuning its NbO₆ octahedra leading to pyroelectric, photoelectric, and multiferroic properties. Its native orthorhombic phase, on the other hand, is insulating in nature.  In this present work, we report on the growth of epitaxial SrNbO₃ (001) thin films on LaAlO₃ (001) or SrTiO₃ (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition and show their optoelectronic properties along with those obtained from the DFT calculations. These films are characterized by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, UV-Visible spectroscopy, ellipsometry, AFM, XPS and electrical transport measurements. We first present the evidence of the existence of perovskite phase under suitable growth conditions and then show the manipulated electronic and optical properties for making it an attractive material for various kind of other optoelectronic applications.