Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) shows an abrupt and reversible change in optical and electrical properties when the temperature is raised beyond a critical point of ∼68 • C. Films made from this material have a potential to be used in energy efficient "smart" windows with temperature-dependent throughput of solar radiation. Two of the drawbacks of this material have been its low luminous transmittance and limited solar modulation of transmittance during switching. In this work we report calculations and experiments on multilayers of VO 2 and TiO 2 , produced by reactive DC magnetron sputtering, that significantly improve the luminous transmittance and solar modulation of the films during switching. We also explore the angular-dependent transmittance of five-layer TiO 2 /VO 2 /TiO 2 /VO 2 /TiO 2 films and demonstrate that the modulation of luminous and solar transmittance can be enhanced at non-normal angles of incidence.
Thermochromic Mg-doped VO2 films were deposited by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering onto heated glass and carbon substrates. Elemental compositions were inferred from Rutherford backscattering. Optical bandgaps were obtained from spectral transmittance and reflectance measurements—from both the film side and the back side of the samples—and ensuing determination of absorption coefficients. The bandgap of Mg-doped films was found to increase by 3.9 ± 0.5 eV per unit of atom ratio Mg/(Mg + V) for 0 < Mg/(Mg + V) < 0.21. The presence of ∼0.45 at. % Si enhanced the bandgap even more.
Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were rapid thermal annealed (RTA) for 5 min at a temperature of 550 °C in different exposures of nitrogen gas. Effects of these exposures on the structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of these films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and field emission-scanning electron microscopy, four-point probe and hall effect measurements, and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrophotometer, respectively. The un-exposed RTA ITO films maintained (400) plane preferential orientation similar to the un-annealed sample. However, this plane preferential orientation was reduced relative to (222) plane for exposed RTA sample. The grains and surface roughness parameters were reduced for exposed and enhanced for un-exposed RTA samples as compared to the un-annealed sample. Relatively higher electrical conductivity, average solar transmittance, and bandgap values were observed for ITO films annealed while exposed to nitrogen gas. The exposed RTA ITO films showed sheet resistance of 7.91 Ω sq −1 , average solar transmittance of 83%, and bandgap of 3.93 eV. Findings from this study suggest that RTA exposure have the potential to control ITO thin films properties, hence, extending its potential applications.
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