Vanadium dioxide thin films prepared by chemical vapour deposition from vanadium(III) acetylacetonate

Vanadium dioxide thin films were prepared by an atmospheric-pressure chemical vapour deposition method. The raw material was vanadium(III) acetylacetonate. Polycrystalline thin films were obtained at a reaction temperature of 500°C. Slow post-deposition cooling of the deposits on a substrate of fused quartz or sapphire single crystal yields vanadium dioxide films which are not mixed with other phases, i.e. V₃O₇ or V₄O₉. Optical and electrical switching behaviours strongly depend on film thickness. At a film thickness of about 300 nm the transition temperature showed a minimum value of 44 °C.