Highly conductive Nb doped BaSnO3 thin films on MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition

• BNSO films were epitaxially grown on MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition.
• The lowest room temperature resistivity value of 4.81 × 10−4 Ω cm was obtained.
• All the films exhibit a high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range.
• The variation of Eg with Nb doping content was explained by Burstein-Moss effect.

Ba(NbxSn1-x)O3 (BNSO) films were epitaxially grown on (001) oriented MgO substrates with Nb doping content from 0.00 to 0.15 by pulsed laser deposition. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films were investigated in detail by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Hall effect and transmittance spectroscopy. The lowest room temperature resistivity value of 4.81 × 10−4 Ω cm with carrier concentration and mobility of 6.59 × 1020/cm3 and 19.65 cm2/V was observed in the film at x = 0.05, indicating an excellent electrical conductivity. All the BNSO films exhibit a high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range. The variation of band gap Eg with Nb doping content was interpreted by the Burstein-Moss effect and the occurrence of octahedral tilt distorting. Excellent optical and electrical properties suggest that BNSO films have potential applications in the optoelectronic devices as transparent and conducting oxide material.