Novel method of thin-film vanadium dioxide growth on (100)-oriented YSZ substrate using RF magnetron sputtering

We describe a method of depositing highly epitaxial thin films of the monoclinic phase of vanadium dioxide (VO₂-M1) on a (100)-oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate using RF magnetron sputtering. We first deposit a thin film of vanadium metal onto the YSZ in a pure Ar atmosphere. After which, the sample is annealed in a pure oxygen environment, yielding the desired VO₂ phase. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), performed in situ, confirmed the stoichiometry to be nearly pure VO₂-M1 with some higher oxides also present. Out-of-plane x-ray diffraction measurements, performed ex-situ, indicate that the VO₂-M1 thin film has a (020) orientation, and rocking curves of the corresponding (020) peak, have a FWHM of approximately 0.07°, indicating a highly epitaxial structure. Preliminary conductivity measurements, performed ex situ, appear to demonstrate the presence of the insulator-to-metal transition.