Effects of substrate rotational speed and phase transition on β-V2O5 for temperature-sensitive thin films

The phase stability and reversibility of V₂O₅ are crucial for smart, contactless optical thermal sensors. Controlling phase characteristics optimizes device performance, particularly by achieving lower phase-transition temperatures with reversible properties. This study examines the effects of substrate rotational speed on the phase content and homogeneity of V₂O₅ thin films deposited via radiofrequency magnetron sputtering using an inclined magnetron head and an O₂-reactive process. Characterized using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Hall effect measurements, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, the films exhibited a mixture of β-monoclinic and β-tetragonal phases. Increasing the substrate rotational speed from 0 to 40 rpm increased the film thickness from 125 to 220 nm but reduced the crystallite size from 16.8 to 7.9 nm for the β-monoclinic phase. The direct bandgap energy decreased from 3.582 to 2.56 eV, and the electron density decreased from 2.92 × 10¹⁸ to 5.2 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³, suggesting suppressed depletion of vanadyl oxygen in the film structure. Optical analysis revealed that the dispersive energy for the β-monoclinic phase increased from 24.7 to 30.3 eV as the rotational speed increased—attributed to stronger polarization due to lattice vibrations. The responses of the annealed and as-deposited films to thermally induced stimuli were investigated. During cooling to 100 °C, the β-tetragonal phase content continued to increase, whereas the β-monoclinic phase content decreased and appeared to revert to levels observed before heating. This result revealed a reversible β-monoclinic phase transformation during cooling, indicating the potential of amorphous β-monoclinic V₂O₅ films for chromic and temperature-sensitive sensors with repeatable performance.