Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 26 (4), P. 388-397 (2023).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/spqeo26.04.388


Nanomechanical properties of polycrystalline vanadium oxide thin films of different phase composition

P.M. Lytvyn * , V.M. Dzhagan, M.Ya. Valakh, A.A. Korchovyi, O.F. Isaieva, O.A. Stadnik, O.A. Kulbachynskyi, O.Yo. Gudymenko, B.M. Romanyuk, V.P. Melnik

V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductors Physics, NAS of Ukraine, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
* Corresponding author e-mail: plyt@isp.kiev.ua


Abstract. Vanadium oxide (VO x ) thin films are promising materials, exhibiting electrical, optical, and mechanical properties highly tunable by processing and structure. This work uniquely applying atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation correlated with X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy structural analysis to investigate the intricate connections between VO x post-annealing, phase composition, and resulting nanoscale mechanical functionality. Utilizing an ultra-sharp diamond tip as a nanoscale indenter, indentation is performed on VO x films with systematic variations in structure – from mixed insulating oxides to VO 2 -dominated films. Analytical modeling enables extraction of hardness and elastic modulus with nanoscale resolution. Dramatic mechanical property variations are observed between compositions, with order-of-magnitude increases in hardness and elastic modulus for the VO 2 -rich films versus insulating oxides. Ion implantation further enhances nanomechanical performance through targeted defect engineering. Correlating indentation-derived trends with detailed structural and morphological characterization elucidates explicit structure-property relationships inaccessible by other techniques. The approach provides critical mechanics-driven insights into links between VO x synthesis, structure evolution, and property development. Broader implementation will accelerate processing optimization for electronics and advanced fundamental understanding of nanoscale structure-functionality relationships

Keywords:polycrystalline vanadium oxide thin films, phase composition, atomic force microscopy, nanoindentation, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, defect engineering, ion implantation

Full Text (PDF)


Back to Volume 26 N4

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.