文摘
Epitaxial VO<sub>2sub>/TiO<sub>2sub> thin film heterostructures were grown on (100) (m-cut) Al<sub>2sub>O<sub>3sub> substrates via pulsed laser deposition. We have demonstrated the ability to reduce the semiconductor–metal transition (SMT) temperature of VO<sub>2sub> to ∼44 °C while retaining a 4 order of magnitude SMT using the TiO<sub>2sub> buffer layer. A combination of electrical transport and X-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping studies help examine the specific strain states of VO<sub>2sub>/TiO<sub>2sub>/Al<sub>2sub>O<sub>3sub> heterostructures as a function of TiO<sub>2sub> film growth temperatures. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the columnar microstructure present in TiO<sub>2sub> buffer films is responsible for the partially strained VO<sub>2sub> film behavior and subsequently favorable transport characteristics with a lower SMT temperature. Such findings are of crucial importance for both the technological implementation of the VO<sub>2sub> system, where reduction of its SMT temperature is widely sought, as well as the broader complex oxide community, where greater understanding of the evolution of microstructure, strain, and functional properties is a high priority.