Y-doped BaCeO3 (BaCe0.90Y0.10O3−δ) thin films have been deposited on (100) MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The BaCe0.90Y0.10O3−δ thin film prepared at substrate temperature of 600 °C and oxygen gas pressure of 15 mTorr exhibits a predominantly c-axis orientation. The thin film consists of small grains with a diameter of 50 nm and smooth surface. The electrical conductivity of the thin film exhibits thermal activation type behavior. The conductivity in H2O atmosphere is higher than that in D2O atmosphere in the temperature range from 700 to 350 °C. The ratio of σ(H2O) and σ(D2O) is approximately 1.4, which is close to the square root of the mass ratio of the proton to deuteron. These results indicate the existence of proton conduction in BaCe0.90Y0.10O3−δ thin film. The activation energy (EA) of the thin film estimated from the Arrhenius plot is 0.92 eV, which is nearly equal to the energy separation between the top of valence band and Fermi level, although the EA value of thin film is higher than that of the bulk.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.