Tuning the Electrically Triggered Metal to Insulator Transition in Epitaxial VO2 Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Graduate #129
Discipline: Technology and Engineering
Subcategory: Materials Science

Makhes K. Behera - Norfolk State University
Co-Author(s): Sangram K Pradhan, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA ; Messaoud J Bahoura, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA

---

Research and development on vanadium oxide (VO2) thin films has drawn significant interest in recent years because of their intriguing physical origin and a wide range of functionalities that are useful for many potential applications, including infrared imaging, smart windows, energy and information technologies. We report the structural and electronic properties of high quality single crystalline thin films of VO2 grown on c-axis oriented sapphire substrates by the pulsed laser deposition at different deposition pressures and temperatures followed by various annealing schedule. The X-ray diffraction studies carried out on all the samples confirm an epitaxial growth of the VO2 film as well as how the epitaxial nature of the films change with a variation in the growth conditions. This study focused to control the threshold voltage required to trigger the Metal to Insulator Transition in the thin films of VO2 by controlling different growth parameters and thickness of the film. This property of VO2 opens the door for the thin films to be used as ultrafast switching devices that can be used in a variety of applications. The results reported here, will open up the door for fundamental studies of VO2 along with the tuning of threshold voltage for potential applications in multifunctional devices.

Abstract_ERN_ Makhes.docx

Funder Acknowledgement(s): This work has been supported by NSF-CREST Grant number 1036494 and NSF-CREST Grant number 1547771.

Faculty Advisor: Messaoud J Bahoura, mbahoura@nsu.edu

Role: I did the growth of the films and optimization of growth parameters, characterizations and explanations.