The Bright and Dark Shades of Transparent Conducting Perovskites: From Science to Global Market

Abstract

From band theory of solids, it is well known that electrical conductivity and optical transparency are mutually exclusive properties. However, due to advancement in science and technology, controlled doping has allowed to merge these properties in few materials such as thin films, bulk oxides, conducting polymers and carbon-based materials and are collectively known as transparent conducting oxides (TCO) and transparent conducting films (TCF). Recently, this extraordinary property is also found in doped nano-perovskites and hence can further meets the diversified demand in the field of photovoltaics, LCDs, FETs, diodes, supercapacitors and many more. For such applications, doped perovskite TCOs have becomes highly important and cost effective for the future global markets. This paper will summarize the status and progress of various TCOs which are particularly perovskite in structure. Future direction and challenges of doped Perovskites in the techno-era are also discussed. Several examples of TCO-Perovskites are presented with a discussion of their ferroic, magnetic, electrical and optical properties. On addition, the concerns related to thermal and chemical stability of TCO-Doped Perovskites are vividly reviewed.