Epitaxial
La-doped BaSnO3 (BLSO) thin films were fabricated
on a SrTiO3 (100) substrate by a cost-efficient and scalable
solution deposition method. Microstructures and optoelectronic properties
of the BLSO thin films can be controlled by the metal cation concentration
(MCC) of the initially used precursor solution. It is found that thin
films with a denser microstructure, lower resistivity, higher optical
transmittance, and good thermal stability can be obtained from the
solution with a lower MCC. The growth mechanisms of the initial nucleation
are explained in detail for different MCC-derived thin films. Most
of all, the highest room-temperature carrier mobility with the value
of 53 cm2 V–1 s–1 was
achieved among all solution-processed donor-doped BaSnO3 thin films to date. The herein proposed microstructural engineering
of the BLSO thin films contributes a sensible and feasible avenue
to optimize the optoelectronic performance of transparent conducting
thin films by a simple solution approach.