Effect of laser wavelength in PLD in the orientation and thermochromic properties of VO2 (M1) on a glass substrate

Abstract

Highly oriented VO2 (M1) thin films are difficult to produce using non-crystalline substrates. For example, to produce such films on glass has required post-annealing or the use of a ZnO transparent layer. Here, we overcome this challenge and report highly oriented VO2 (M1) in the (100) plane directly on the glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). We study the influence of the laser wavelengths (1064, 532, 355 and 266 nm) on the orientation of VO2 (M1) deposited on Corning glass. We find that the laser wavelength of 532 nm leads the most highly a-axis textured VO2 (M1) demonstrating the highest reversible metal-to-insulator at about 62 °C with a lowest hysteresis width of approximately 9°C. One of the conditions is to select the green 532 nm wavelength laser in PLD as this particular laser wavelength also produces films with highest roughness value (of more than 60 nm) when compared to other wavelengths which produce films of roughness values less than 40 nm.