Vanadium oxide thin films deposited onto Cu buffer layer by RF magnetron sputtering

Vanadium oxide films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering onto silica glass substrates or silica glass substrates coated with Cu metal thin film buffer layer. If the vanadium oxide film was deposited onto the Cu thin film buffer layer, film deposition was carried out invacuum, and the valence of vanadium in the deposited films were reduced From the depth profiles of deposited films, the films deposited onto Cu buffer layer showed Cu at the film surface. However, Cu did not exist in the vanadium oxide layer Thus Cu did not diffuse through vanadium oxide films. From the surface morphology analysis by AFM, it was proved that nucleation density was decreased by presence of Cu buffer layer.