Influence of niobium dopant on the photoelectrochemical performance and photochargeability of SrTiO3 films

SrTi
_1-x
Nb
_x
O
₃
films with thickness of about 200 nm on nickel substrate were deposited by magnetron sputtering method. After annealed at 500degC, a hydrogen storage alloy was deposited on the back of the nickel substrate and the SrTi
_1-x
Nb
_x
O
₃
/Ni/hydrogen storage alloy (SNH) electrodes were fabricated. The influences of niobium dopant on the photoelectrochemical performance of SrTiO
₃
thin films and on the photo-chargeability of SNH electrodes were investigated. With the increase of the niobium content from 0.5 mol.% to 2 mol.% in the SrTiO
₃
films, the photocurrents, the open-circuit photovoltage of the SrTiO
₃
thin films and the photochargeability of the SNH electrode increased.