Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of VO2 and VO2/TiO2 films from the reaction of VOCl3, TiCl4 and water

Vanadium dioxide films were deposited on glass from the APCVD reaction of VOCl3 and water at 650 °C. Introduction of a second precursor TiCl4 affected the growth morphology of the VO2 films but did not incorporate any detectable titanium. The films were characterised by XPS, XRD, Raman, EDAX and SEM. Interestingly the VO2 films formed in the presence of TiCl4 showed a reduction in the thermochromic switching temperature from 69 °C in bulk VO2 to 49 °C. APCVD of TiCl4/VOCl3 at a substrate temperature of 600 and 550 °C afforded composite TiO2/VO2 films. These films exhibited photoinduced hydrophilicity, photocatalysis and a thermochromic switching temperature of 51 °C.