Effect of the introduction of Ag on the microstructures and electrical properties of polycrystalline VO2 thin films

Deen Gu; Zhou Xin; Zhihui Wang; Pan Tan; Yadong Jiang

doi:10.1117/12.2242620

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25 October 2016 Effect of the introduction of Ag on the microstructures and electrical properties of polycrystalline VO₂ thin films

Deen Gu, Zhou Xin, Zhihui Wang, Pan Tan, Yadong Jiang

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Proceedings Volume 9686, 8th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Optoelectronic Materials and Devices; 96860L (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2242620
Event: Eighth International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technology (AOMATT2016), 2016, Suzhou, China

Abstract

We investigate the effect of the introduction of Ag on the microstructures and electrical properties of polycrystalline VO₂ thin films prepared by reactively sputtering process. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra indicate that Ag/VO₂ composite thin films have similar monoclinic structure to undoped VO₂ films. However, the existence of Ag greatly reduces the grain size of monoclinic VO₂. Differently, the data from scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy reveal that the introduction of Ag obviously increases the particle size and root-mean-square(RMS) roughness of VO₂ films. The opposite changing tendency between the particle size and grain size probably results from the existing forms of Ag in Ag/VO₂ composite thin films. On one hand, the existence of Ag in VO₂ lattice and in the grain boundaries inhibits the growth of monoclinic VO₂ crystals, thus the grain size decreases. On the other hand, redundant Ag forms pure cubic Ag phase with much larger particle size due to the strong tendency of the Vomer-Webber growth of Ag at elevated temperature. Ag particles in VO₂ films cause rougher surface morphologies and larger particle size than undoped VO₂ films. The electrical properties Ag/VO₂ composite thin films were also investigated. A small amount of Ag depresses the amplitude of semiconductor-metal phase transition (SMPT) of VO₂. With the further increase of Ag concentration, the SMPT feature of VO₂ thin film gradually disappear. This provides a promising approach for preparing thermal-sensitive vanadium oxide films with high temperature coefficient of resistivity and without SMPT feature for bolometer infrared detectors.

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Deen Gu, Zhou Xin, Zhihui Wang, Pan Tan, and Yadong Jiang "Effect of the introduction of Ag on the microstructures and electrical properties of polycrystalline VO₂ thin films", Proc. SPIE 9686, 8th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, 96860L (25 October 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2242620

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