Improving the long-term stability of new-generation perovskite-based TCO using binary and ternary oxides capping layers

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that amorphous LaAlO3 capping layers significantly enhance the long-term thermal stability of perovskite-based TCOs, maintaining electrical and optical properties under heat and aging conditions.

Contribution

It introduces the use of amorphous LaAlO3 as an effective capping layer to improve stability of perovskite TCOs, addressing long-term durability issues.

Findings

LaAlO3 capping preserves electrical properties during heat treatment

TiO2 layers are less effective than LaAlO3 for stability

Enhanced stability extends potential for oxide electronics applications

Abstract

We report the impact of capping layers on vanadate based transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) to prolong the thermal stability with a minimal loss of resistivity during heat treatment in ambient environment. In the present study, various protecting layers (amorphous Al2O3, LaAlO3 (LAO), TiO2 grown in base pressure and TiO2 deposited under oxygen partial pressure) are grown in-situ on polycrystalline perovskite SrVO3 (SVO) thin films using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). The results show that amorphous LaAlO3 is the most promising protection layer among the oxide layers, to preserve both electrical and optical properties of perovskite SVO films from natural as well as artificial aging. Our present approach for a capping layer on SVO may address the long-term stability issues of correlated TCOs and would open an opportunity for the future oxide electronics applications.