Atomic Layer Deposition Synthesis of thin Films of Vanadium Oxides in a Reducing Hydrogen Atmosphere

The work considers the synthesis of thin films of vanadium oxides by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD). A procedure is proposed to obtain thin films of amorphous vanadium dioxide. The hydrogen effect on the composition of deposited films during PE-ALD is analyzed. Hydrogen is shown to decrease the vanadium oxidation state in the deposited films and amorphize the structure. The mechanism of amorphization is discussed. The application of plasma enhancement promotes the hydrogen reducing activity. Calcination of films consisting of a mixture of vanadium oxides in hydrogen plasma enables the preparation of films of solely amorphous vanadium dioxide.