Electrical and optical properties of VO2 thin films

Gilberto Bolaños*1, Horacio Coy*1 , Maria F. Córdoba*1 , Cesar Quinayás*1 ,

*
Grupo de Física de Bajas Temperaturas, Universidad del Cauca, Calle 5 # 4-70, Popayán
Colombia.

We have deposited VO2 thin films on Si (100) substrates and glass substrates, by R.F Magnetron
Sputtering. The thickness of the thin film is about 100nm. The morphology of the VO 2 surface thin
film grown on Si (100) substrates was analyzed by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), obtaining an
average grain size about 190nm and a roughness of about 18Å. The VO2 thin films show
semiconductor to metallic transition with electrical resistivity changes as large as 10 2, and the
transition temperature for films is 68ºC. Optical transmittance was made at fixed wavelength of
1550nm. At room temperature a high transmittance close to 40% is observed for the thin films
grown on glass substrates. After the phase transition at 68ºC , it decreases until the minimum value
of 2% at 70ºC and remains constant when temperature further increases.
 _________ and ultrafast optical conditions. Much effort
___________________ switching [11]. has been devoted to the
___ Recently, preparation of high
I. Introduction 
researchers are creating quality VO2 film by
gbolanos
@unicauca.edu.co new application of VO2. different preparation
Thin films
It could be used to make methods. In particular
materials with “smart
At room a “smart window” that the substrate
properties” reacating by
temperature, vanadium could help protect temperature and the
temperature, electrical,
dioxide is a sensitive optical oxygen partial pressure
optical or magnetic field
semiconductor with surveillance systems— can strongly influence
variations, has attracted
monoclinic crystal like those used in the stoichiometric of the
great attention in recent
symmetry and becomes international safeguard deposited film [13].
years. Vanadium
into metallic phase with satellites—from To date, there have
dioxide thin films
a tetragonal structure at accidental damage or been various methods
belong to this family of
about 68°C [1]. The even sabotage [12]. The used for the successful
“smart materials”
semiconductor to metal “smart window” can be deposition of VO2 thin
having a first order
phase transition is formed, for example, on films, such as chemical
transition metal-
accompanies by drastic a single crystal of vapor deposition [14],
semiconductor
changes on its electrical aluminum oxide by reactive sputtering [15]
accompanied by
and optical properties. using an accelerator to and laser ablation [16].
structural changes from
As large as four or five implant vanadium and In this work we
a low-temperature
orders of electrical oxygen ions and create have deposited VO2 thin
monoclinic to a high
resistrivity variation has embedded vanadium films on Si (100)
temperature tetragonal
been observes for VO2 dioxide precipitates. substrates and glass
crystal structure. Strong
single crystal and These ion-implanted substrates by R.F
changes in electrical
oriented polycrystalline surfaces can if intense magnetron sputtering,
resistivity and infrared
films [2]. Its infrared light from a powerful starting from a pure
transmittance occur
transmission laser were to strike the vanadium target. The
across the phase
characteristics also nanocomposite surface, electrical resistivity and
transition
change dramatically the embedded vanadium optical transmittance as
The vanadium-
over the phase dioxide particles would a function of
oxide system is a rich
transition. The transition rapidly heat up, quickly temperature were
and widely studied one,
phase temperature is transforming the determined for the VO2
because there are many
conveniently close to window into a metallic samples. Furthermore,
different stoichiometric
room temperature and mirror. Then, instead of we present
compositions of
there have been a letting the intense morphological analysis
vanadium oxide that
considerable amount of incoming light go of the thin film surface
exhibit a sharp
research performed in through and damage by Atomic Force
semiconductor-metal
attempt to reduce the delicate detectors on the Microscopy (AFM).
transition at
transition temperature other side, the smart
temperatures ranging
by using dopants [3] window would reflect it II. Experimental
from 80 to 435 K and
[4]. back in the direction of details
abrupt changes in their
All above its source, thereby
optical and electrical
properties make VO2 a shielding the internal Vanadium dioxide
properties. Of all
good candidate material optical components in a thin films were
different types of
for technological satellite or other deposited by R.F
vanadium oxide, VO2
applications that surveillance system magnetron sputtering on
has been the most
encompass [13]. Si(100) substrates and
studied because of its
thermochromic coatings Because of the glass substrates, starting
temperature transition in
[5], optical [6] and existence of a large from a pure vanadium
near to room
holographic storage number of different target (HTC purity
temperature.
systems [7], fiber oxide-phases with 99.99%).The RF power
optical switching different crystalline and the total pressure
devices [8], laser structures the during deposition were
scanners [9], missile stabilization of pure 25 W and 1x10-2 mbar
training systems [10] VO2 films is very respectively. The films
sensitive to the growth were grown in a pure
argon atmosphere. The Electrical resistivity substrates and glass
substrate temperature was measured as a III. Results and substrates respectively.
was kept at 450ºC function of temperature discussion The semiconductor to
during the deposition ranging from 20 to metallic transition is
process. After the 100°C. Electrical The surface observed with resistivity
deposition the samples measurements were topography changes as large as 102.
were annealing “in situ” made using the Van der obtained with the The transition
in a Ar/O2gas mixture Pauw four point Atomic Force temperature for films is
at the same deposition resistivity technique. Microscopy (AFM) 68°C and is in
temperature. The The film temperature agreement with the
indicates that our
percentage of argon and was measured using a transition of VO2.
sample is smooth.
oxygen were silicon diode DT470 Hysteresis on electrical
Figure 2 shows an
20%O2+80%Ar. The detector in contact with resistivity is observed
AFM image of a
total chamber pressure the film surface. The upon the heating and the
VO2 thin film grown
was 1x10-2 mbar. The study of the change in cooling cycles. For our
on Si(100)
partial pressure of optical transmittance is films, typical hysteresis
substrate. The film
oxygen is a critical performed by using a widths were less than
surface is formed
parameter in the infrared pigtailed laser 10ºC. The large
smoothly with root-
preparation of VO2 diode module at 1550 resistivity changes and
mean-square
phase, because nm. The simple the narrowness of
roughness of about
vanadium oxide has experiment arrangement hysteresis indicate that
several phases with is showed in figure 1. 18Å. The average our films have a
different oxygen The output power of the grain size in the stoichiometry near to
concentration. The laser is 1.5 mW. The film is about 190 bulk crystalline VO2.
process was optimized 1550nm laser beam is nm Samples showed a
adjusting the distance focused on the VO2 thin typical semiconductor
between target and film which was characteristic below the
substrate at 2.4 cm in mounted on a transition temperature.
order to obtain a good temperature controller
uniformity and heater stage. The
reproducibility of the transmitted laser beam VO2/Si(1
vanadium dioxide thin across the VO2 thin film
films. The deposition is detected with a 0
rate was very stable, reverse bias photodiode 10
linear and reproducible which is centered at
Resistivity(ohm cm)

with a mean value of 1 1550nm.

nm/min. So, the film
thickness could be -1
10
directly related to the
sputtering time.
AFM
measurements were -2
10
performed with a park
scientific instrument. In 20 30 40 50 6
order to determine the Fig. 2 AFM image of a
Temperatur
morphology surface thin VO2 thin film on an
films typical scans were Si(100) substrate. The
AFM image is 2x2 m. Fig.3 Electrical
taken over 2x2m. The resistivity as a function
AFM images were The thickness of the
film is 100 nm. of temperature for a
obtained in the contact VO2 thin film deposited
mode, selecting tip on Si(100) substrate.
forces between 1 and Figure 3 and 4
10nN and it was not Fig. 1 Schematic of the show the experimental
necessary made any experimental setup for resistivity- temperature
special preparation of VO2 thin film optical characteristic curve for
the surface samples. transmittance a VO2 thin film
measurement. deposited on Si(100)
3
 The transmittance [4] C.N.R. Rao, M.
VO2/Glass 50 of the VO2 thin film is Natarajan, G.V.
VO2/Glass
about 40% at room Subba Rao, and
10
0
40
temperature and it is R.E.Loehman, J.
reduced to about 2% at Phys. Chem Solids
Resistivity(ohm cm)

75°C at the wavelength 32, 1147(1971).

30

Transmittance(%)
of 1550nm. [5] C.G. Granqvist,
10
-1 Phys. Scr. 32,
20 Acknowledgment 401(1985).
[6] M. Fukama, S.
10 This work has been Zembutsu, and S.
10
-2 Heating
partially supported by Miyazawa, Appl.
Cooling
Heating COLCIENCIAS under Opt. 22, 265
0 Cooling
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20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
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