Effect of Oxide Buffer Layer on the Thermochromic Properties of VO2 Thin Films

VO2 thin films were deposited on soda lime glass substrates with ZnO, TiO2, SnO2, and CeO2 thin films applied as buffer layers between the VO2 films and the substrates in order to investigate the effect of buffer layer on the formation and the thermochromic properties of VO2 film. Buffer layers with thicknesses over 50 nm were found to affect the formation of VO2 film, which was confirmed by XRD spectra. By using ZnO, TiO2, and SnO2 buffer layers, monoclinic VO2 (VO2(M)) film was successfully fabricated on soda lime glass at 370 degrees C. On the contrary, films of VO2(B), which is known to have no phase transition near room temperature, were formed rather than VO2(M) when the film was deposited on CeO2 buffer layer at the same film deposition temperature. The excellent thermochromic properties of the films deposited on ZnO, TiO2, and SnO2 buffer layers were confirmed from the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity from room temperature to 80 degrees C. Especially, due to the tendency of ZnO thin film to grow with a high degree of preferred orientation on soda lime glass at low temperature, the VO2 film deposited on ZnO buffer layer exhibits the best thermochromic properties compared to those on other buffer layer materials used in this study. These results suggest that deposition of VO2 films on soda lime glass at low temperature with excellent thermochromic properties can be achieved by considering the buffer layer material having structural similarity with VO2. Moreover, the degree of crystallization of buffer layer is also related with that of VO2 film, and thus ZnO can be one of the most effective buffer layer materials.