• Kumar, Sunil R. Sarath
• Cha, Dong Kyu
• Hedhili, Mohamed Nejib
• Tritt, Terry M.

Abstract

A novel superlattice structure based on epitaxial nanoscale layers of NbOx and Nb-doped SrTiO3 is fabricated using a layer-by-layer approach on lattice matched LAO substrates. The absolute Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the [(NbOx) a/(Nb-doped SrTiO3)b]20 superlattices (SLs) were found to increase with decreasing layer thickness ratio (a/b ratio), reaching, at high temperatures, a power factor that is comparable to epitaxial Nb-doped SrTiO3 (STNO) films (∼0.7 W m-1 K-1). High temperature studies reveal that the SLs behave as n-type semiconductors and undergo an irreversible change at a varying crossover temperature that depends on the a/b ratio. By use of high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, the irreversible changes are identified to be due to a phase transformation from cubic NbO to orthorhombic Nb2O5, which limits the highest temperature of stable operation of the superlattice to 950 K. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• phase
• x-ray diffraction
• x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• Strontium
• electrical conductivity
• niobium
• static light scattering
• n-type semiconductor