Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik
HL 42: Nitrides III – Emerging thin films and electrochemistry
HL 42.3: Talk
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 12:00–12:15, POT/0006
Investigating Charge Transport Limitations in LaTiO2N Thin Films for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting — •Oliver Brune1,2, Gabriel Grötzner1,2, Katarina S. Flashar1,2, Saswati Santra1,2, Ian D. Sharp1,2, and Verena Streibel1,2 — 1Walter Schottky Institute, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany — 2Physics Department, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
Photoelectrochemical water splitting offers a sustainable route to hydrogen production. On the photoanode side, LaTiO2N is a promising candidate due to its visible-light absorption, favorable band alignment and n-type semiconducting properties. However, its performance is limited by inefficient charge transport, the origin of which remains unclear. In this work, we synthesize LaTiO2N thin films by spin coating and reactive sputter deposition, both followed by ammonia annealing, yielding films with controlled structure and composition as confirmed by XRD and ERDA/RBS. Synchrotron-based XAS, XPS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and PEC measurements reveal that a larger degree of nitridation in LaTiO2N correlates with higher short-range order and crystallinity, a decreasing bandgap, and an increase in photocurrent density. To elucidate charge transport mechanisms and carrier dynamics, we use Hall effect and temperature-dependent photocurrent measurements. Our findings establish a direct link between synthesis parameters, defect chemistry, and charge-carrier dynamics in LaTiO2N, providing a foundation for overcoming transport limitations in oxynitride-based photoanodes for solar hydrogen production.
Keywords: LaTiO2N; green hydrogen; solar water splitting; reactive sputtering