Fabrication of high-quality VO2 thin films by ion-assisted dual ac magnetron sputtering.
The technique of cathodic ac dual magnetron sputtering along with the high energy ionic bombardment is known to yield high-quality thin films in terms of their uniformity and high density. This technique has been applied for the first time to achieve thermochromic VO2 thin films that show a high optical and electrical contrast between normal and switched states. In this two-step process Vanadium metal films were deposited and subsequently oxidized in optimum conditions to achieve stoichiometric VO2 films. Typical films switched between more than 40 % to less than 5 % transmission in the infrared region while undergoing an electrical sheet resistance change between 1 × 10(5) and 1 × 10(2) Ω/cm(2). The application potential of such VO2 films in integrated optics is deemed high.
Centre d'optique, photonique et laser (COPL), Université Laval , 2375 rue de la terrasse, Québec, Quebec, Canada G1V 0A6.
Cheikhou
C
Ba
Souleymane T
ST
Bah
Marc
M
D'Auteuil
P V
PV
Ashrit
Réal
R
Vallée