Hybrid aerosol assisted and atmospheric pressure CVD of gold-doped vanadium dioxide

Hybrid aerosol-assisted (AA) and atmospheric pressure (AP) CVD methodology is utilized, for the first time, to produce thin films of gold nanoparticle-doped vanadium dioxide. Good surface coverage, comparable to that of APCVD processes, is observed, and a variety of different film thicknesses and dopant levels are easily produced. The films are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Their optical and thermochromic behaviors are also determined. Incorporation of gold nanoparticles in the films leads to significant changes in the color of the film due to the presence of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band.