Anomalously large measured thermoelectric power factor in Sr_(1-x)La_xTiO₃ thin films due to SrTiO₃ substrate reduction

We report the observation that thermoelectric thin-films of La-doped SrTiO3 grown on SrTiO3 substrates yield anomalously high values of thermopower to give extraordinary values of power factor at 300K. Thin-films of Sr0.98La0.02TiO3, grown via pulsed laser deposition at low temperature and low pressure (450C, 10-7Torr), do not yield similarly high values when grown on other substrates. The thin-film growth induces oxygen reduction in the SrTiO3 crystals, doping the substrate n-type. It is found that the backside resistance of the SrTiO3 substrates is as low (~12ohm/square) as it is on the film-side after film growth.