Formation and characterization of grain-oriented VO2 thin films

Abstract

Grain-oriented films of VO2 have been prepared to characterize the effects of film orientation on electrical and optical switching performance. This oriented growth has been achieved by lattice matching to (0001) sapphire, and results in intergranular structures favorable to rapid propagation of the monoclinic-tetragonal phase transformation. The electrical and optical property changes across this transition are strongly affected by film microstructure, with the oriented structures favoring rapid switching and narrow hysteresis.