Influence of Metal Oxide Interface Layers on the Thermochromic Properties of VO ₂ Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

ABSTRACT VO 2 exhibits thermochromic properties with a metal‐to‐insulator transition occurring at 68°C. VO 2 thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on Al‐doped ZnO coated fused silica with Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and WO 3 as interface layers with the aim of controlling the transition temperature. Annealing under nitrogen atmosphere was employed to promote diffusion or doping from the interface layer into the VO 2 films. The results show that matching between crystalline structures and high oxygen flows during deposition resulted in a higher degree of doping or diffusion of the interface layer into the VO 2 . Consequently, oxygen flow rate tuning during the VO 2 deposition on top of a WO 3 interface layer, followed by annealing enabled a decrease of the metal‐to‐insulator temperature from 68°C to 55°C.