In situ electrical resistivity measurements of vanadium thin films performed in vacuum during different annealing cycles.

The present study describes a sputtering and in situ vacuum electrical resistivity setup that allows a more efficient sputtering-oxidation coupling process for the fabrication of oxide compounds like vanadium dioxide, VO2. After the sputtering deposition of pure V thin films, the proposed setup enables the sample holder to be transferred from the sputtering to the in situ annealing + resistivity chamber without venting the whole system. The thermal oxidation of the V films was studied by implementing two different temperature cycles up to 550 °C, both in air (using a different resistivity setup) and vacuum conditions. Main results show that the proposed system is able to accurately follow the different temperature setpoints, presenting clean and low-noise resistivity curves. Furthermore, it is possible to identify the formation of different vanadium oxide phases in air, taking into account the distinct temperature cycles used. The metallic-like electrical properties of the annealed coatings are maintained in vacuum whereas those heated in air produce a vanadium oxide phase mixture.