van der Waal Epitaxy of Flexible and Transparent VO₂ Film on Muscovite

Abstract

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a compelling candidate for next-generation electronics beyond conventional silicon-based devices due to the exhibition of a sharp metal–insulator transition. In this study, in order to realize functional VO2 film for flexible electronics, the growth of VO2 film directly on a transparent and flexible muscovite via van der Waals epitaxy is established. The heteroepitaxy and structural transition of VO2 films on muscovite are examined by a combination of high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The unique metal–insulator transition of VO2 is further revealed with a change in electrical resistance over 103 and a more than 50% variation of optical transmittance. Furthermore, due to the nature of muscovite, the VO2/muscovite heterostructure possesses superior flexibility and optical transparence. The approach developed in this study paves an intriguing way to fabricate functional VO2 film for the applications in flexible electronics.