Synthesis and Structural Properties of $VO_2$ Thin Films

Vanadium dioxide ($VO_2$) has been widely attracted for academic research and industrial applications due to its metal-insulator transition (MIT) temperature close to room temperature. We synthesized VOx film on (0001) sapphire substrate with vanadium target (purity: 99.9%) using DC magnetron sputtering in Ar ambience at a pressure of $10^{-3}$ Torr at $400{\sim}700^{\circ}C$. The VOx film subsequently was annealed at difference temperatures in ambience of Ar and $O_2$ gas mixture at $60{\sim}800^{\circ}C$. The structural properties of the films were investigated using scanning electron microscopic (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements. SEM reveal that small grains formed on the substrates with a roughness surface. XRD shows oriented $VO_2$(020) crystals was deposited on the $Al_2O_3$(006) substrate. From I-V measurements, the electric resistance near its MIT temperature were dramatically changed by ${\sim}10^4$ during heating and cooling the films. We will also discuss the temperature-dependent local structural changes around vanadium atoms using XAFS measurements.