Morphology of phase-separated VO2 films deposited on TiO2-(001) substrate

Abstract The basic morphology of phase-separated VO 2 films, in which the tetragonal (metallic) phase coexists with the monoclinic (insulating) phase, was studied using transmission electron microscopy. While the phase transformation temperature in an unstrained crystal is approximately 340 K, it was observed that at 298 K, elastic strain (caused by lattice mismatch with the TiO 2 -(001) substrate) stabilized the tetragonal phase near the VO 2 /TiO 2 boundary. The observed zig-zag-shaped interface of the tetragonal phase was explained by the crystallographic orientation relationship between the tetragonal and monoclinic phases. The observations provide valuable information for future applications of VO 2 films.