Production of VO2 thin films through post-deposition annealing of V2O3 and VOx films

Abstract VO 2 thin films were produced on sapphire and silicon substrates through post-deposition ex-situ thermal treatment of V 2 O 3 and VO x films. Thin epitaxial films of V 2 O 3 on sapphire and amorphous VO x films on silicon substrates were grown using oxygen assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The post-deposition annealing was performed at different temperatures using an Ar flow. Structural, optical and electrical characterizations were performed to confirm the transformation of the films. The transformed films present a change in resistance across the metal to insulator transition of four orders of magnitude for annealed V 2 O 3 on sapphire and around one order of magnitude in the case of annealed VO x on silicon.