Nanostructured vanadium dioxide thin films with low phase transition temperature

A low phase turning temperature of 35 degrees C has been observed in the semiconductor-to-metal transition of nanoscale vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films. The thin films are prepared by reactive ion beam sputtering deposition and subsequent thermal annealing. Both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the grain size of the fabricated VO2 thin films are several tens of nanometers. The average height of the crystallite is 20 nm and the grain diameter is between 20 and 100 nm. The low-temperature phase transition is accompanied by a significant change in the thin film's infrared transmission property. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.