Tuning the Transparency Window of SrVO Transparent Conducting Oxide.

Correlated transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have gained great attention, because of their unique combination of transparency and metallic character. SrVO (SVO) was identified as a high-performance TCO in the visible range. Few studies have investigated band structure engineering through chemical doping to enhance the optical properties of SVO.

Artificial Aging of Thin Films of the Indium-Free Transparent Conducting Oxide SrVO.

SrVO (SVO) is a prospective candidate to replace the conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) among the new generation of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials. In this study, the structural, electrical, and optical properties of SVO thin films, both epitaxial and polycrystalline, are determined during and after heat treatments in the 150-250 °C range and under ambient environment in order to explore the chemical stability of this material. The use of these relatively low temperatures speeds up the natural aging of the films and allows following the evolution of their related properties.

Thickness-Dependent Domain Relaxation Dynamics Study in Epitaxial KNaNbO Ferroelectric Thin Films.

We explored the time dependence of the nanoscale domain relaxation mechanism in epitaxial KNaNbO (KNN) thin films grown on LaSrMnO/SrTiO (001) substrates over the thickness range 20-80 nm using scanning probe microscopy. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) and piezoresponse force microscopy were performed on pulsed-laser-deposition-deposited KNN thin films for studying the time evolution of trapped charges and polarized domains, respectively. The KFM data show that the magnitude and retention time of the surface potential are the maxima for 80 nm-thick film and reduce with the reduction in the film thickness.