Tuning metal-insulator transitions in epitaxial V2O3 thin films

Einar B. Thorsteinsson; Seyedmohammad Shayestehaminzadeh; Unnar B. Arnalds

doi:10.1063/1.5023180

Tuning metal-insulator transitions in epitaxial V₂O₃ thin films

Einar B. Thorsteinsson
, Seyedmohammad Shayestehaminzadeh
, Unnar B. Arnalds

Faculty of Physical Sciences

University of Iceland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We present a study of the synthesis of epitaxial V₂O₃ films on c-plane Al₂O₃ substrates by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering. The results reveal a temperature window, at substantially lower values than previously reported, wherein epitaxial films can be obtained when deposited on [0001] oriented surfaces. The films display a metal-insulator transition with a change in the resistance of up to four orders of magnitude, strongly dependent on the O₂ partial pressure during deposition. While the electronic properties of the films show sensitivity to the amount of O₂ present during deposition of the films, their crystallographic structure and surface morphology of atomically flat terraced structures with up to micrometer dimensions are maintained. The transition temperature, as well as the scale of the metal-insulator transition, is correlated with the stoichiometry and local strain in the films controllable by the deposition parameters.

Original language	English
Article number	161902
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	112
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5023180
Publication status	Published - 16 Apr 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: This work was supported by funding from the Icelandic Research Fund Grant Nos. 141518-051 and 152483-051 and the University of Iceland Research fund. The authors acknowledge discussions with Arni S. Ingason. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Author(s).

Access to Document

10.1063/1.5023180

Cite this

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title = "Tuning metal-insulator transitions in epitaxial V2O3 thin films",

abstract = "We present a study of the synthesis of epitaxial V2O3 films on c-plane Al2O3 substrates by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering. The results reveal a temperature window, at substantially lower values than previously reported, wherein epitaxial films can be obtained when deposited on [0001] oriented surfaces. The films display a metal-insulator transition with a change in the resistance of up to four orders of magnitude, strongly dependent on the O2 partial pressure during deposition. While the electronic properties of the films show sensitivity to the amount of O2 present during deposition of the films, their crystallographic structure and surface morphology of atomically flat terraced structures with up to micrometer dimensions are maintained. The transition temperature, as well as the scale of the metal-insulator transition, is correlated with the stoichiometry and local strain in the films controllable by the deposition parameters.",

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AU - Arnalds, Unnar B.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by funding from the Icelandic Research Fund Grant Nos. 141518-051 and 152483-051 and the University of Iceland Research fund. The authors acknowledge discussions with Arni S. Ingason. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Author(s).

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N2 - We present a study of the synthesis of epitaxial V2O3 films on c-plane Al2O3 substrates by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering. The results reveal a temperature window, at substantially lower values than previously reported, wherein epitaxial films can be obtained when deposited on [0001] oriented surfaces. The films display a metal-insulator transition with a change in the resistance of up to four orders of magnitude, strongly dependent on the O2 partial pressure during deposition. While the electronic properties of the films show sensitivity to the amount of O2 present during deposition of the films, their crystallographic structure and surface morphology of atomically flat terraced structures with up to micrometer dimensions are maintained. The transition temperature, as well as the scale of the metal-insulator transition, is correlated with the stoichiometry and local strain in the films controllable by the deposition parameters.

AB - We present a study of the synthesis of epitaxial V2O3 films on c-plane Al2O3 substrates by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering. The results reveal a temperature window, at substantially lower values than previously reported, wherein epitaxial films can be obtained when deposited on [0001] oriented surfaces. The films display a metal-insulator transition with a change in the resistance of up to four orders of magnitude, strongly dependent on the O2 partial pressure during deposition. While the electronic properties of the films show sensitivity to the amount of O2 present during deposition of the films, their crystallographic structure and surface morphology of atomically flat terraced structures with up to micrometer dimensions are maintained. The transition temperature, as well as the scale of the metal-insulator transition, is correlated with the stoichiometry and local strain in the films controllable by the deposition parameters.

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