In situ growth of sol–gel-derived nano-VO2 film and its phase transition characteristics

We reported the growth of VO2 film deposited by an inorganic sol–gel method, followed by post-annealing. An in situ evolution of the grain size in the films with different annealing temperatures (300, 500, and 700 °C for 90 min), annealing times (500 °C for 20, 40, 60, and 90 min), and film thicknesses (30, 150 and 320 nm) was observed. The results indicated that the grain size distribution in the sol–gel-derived VO2 films was mediated by the density of nucleation center, which was varied in the films with different extents of thermal deformation during the annealing. By increasing the film thickness from 30 to 320 nm, a compact nanostructure with uniform distribution of grain size could be formed. It suggested that the in situ-evolved nanostructure in the thicker VO2 film will lead to lower threshold temperature and enhanced transition intensity in the phase transition. The effect of nanoscale grain size on the lower phase transition temperature in the VO2 film was discussed.