Electrical transportation performances of Nb–SrTiO3 regulated by the anion related chemical atmospheres

• Anion chemical environment influences the thermoelectric properties of Nb–STO.
• Generating oxygen vacancies during deposition irreversibly reduce the resistivity.
• Post-hydrogen doping reversibly reduces the resistivity for nearly on order of magnitude.

The present work shows the possibility to regulate the thermoelectric performance of SrNbxTi1-xO3 by the anion composition and its created chemical atmosphere, apart from the previously applied cation doping or substitution procedures. The chemical environment associated to anion composition has been regulated by two ways: 1) creating oxygen deficiency during thin film growth; 2) hydrogenation of the already-grown thin films. For both approaches, a reduced resistivity and Seebeck coefficient have been realized by creating a more reductive chemical environment. Via hydrogenation approach, the resistivity of SrNbxTi1-xO3 can be reversibly regulated in a broad range over one order of magnitude, which is expected to receive potential applications in areas such as gas sensing.

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