Fabrication, structural and electrical characterization of VO2 nanowires

Abstract The structural and electrical properties of VO 2 nanowires synthesized on Si 3 N 4 /Si substrates or molybdenum grids by a catalyst-free vapour transport method were investigated. The grown VO 2 nanowires are single crystalline and rectangular-shaped with a preferential axial growth direction of [1 0 0], as examined with various structural analyses such as transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In particular, it was found that growing VO 2 nanowires directly on Si 3 N 4 deposited molybdenum transmission electron microscopy grids is advantageous for direct transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction characterizations, because it does not involve a nanowire-detachment step from the substrates that may cause chemical residue contamination. In addition to structural analyses, VO 2 nanowires were also fabricated into field effect transistor devices to characterize their electrical properties. The transistor characteristics and metal–insulator transition effects of VO 2 nanowires were investigated.