Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol.191, 9-14, 2019
Infrared-light switching in highly oriented VO2 films on ZnO-buffered glasses with controlled phase transition temperatures
Switching ability for infrared-light (IR) of commercial glass is of great interest for realizing practical smart windows which enable energy savings. In this article, we report on highly oriented growth of vanadium dioxide (VO2) films on ZnO-buffered glass substrates by means of biased reactive sputtering technique and their high switching ability for IR against temperature based on the insulator-metal transition (IMT). In addition, lower shift of transition temperature down to 55 degrees C was realized without deterioration of IMT properties in which resistance change nearly three orders of magnitude was kept. Shortening of in-plane V-V atoms distance through the effect of in-plane compressive stress responsible for energetic ion irradiation to biased substrate was supposed to contribute the achievement of controlled IMT temperatures. Large switching of around 50% for transmittance of IR with wavelength of 2.5 mu m was realized under controlled phase transition temperatures. We emphasized that high biasing power enabled the shift of transition temperature for IR to nearly room temperature (similar to 38 degrees C) by combination of the shortening of V-V distance and the oxygen defect formation, while the IMT reveals gradual change at biasing power higher than certain threshold value.