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This report investigates the effect of substrate and nitrogen (16 keV N + ) ion implantation on the structural, morphological, compositional, and electrical properties of V 2 O 5 thin films which are grown by thermal evaporation on various substrates, including glass, Si, and sapphire (termed V 2 O 5 :Gl, V 2 O 5 :Si, and V 2 O 5 :Sp, respectively). Structural analysis showed the formation of the mixed ( α , and β-V 2 O 5 ) phases on all substrates; however, the β-V 2 O 5 phase is highly dominant in the V 2 O 5 :G and V 2 O 5 :Si samples. A deformation in the β-phase of V 2 O 5 thin film under ion implantation-induced strain results in a change of crystallite size. Irradiation suppresses XRD peaks in relative intensities, indicating partial amorphization of the film with defect formation. Microstructural analysis confirmed the formation of uniform-sized nanorods for V 2 O 5 :Si, whereas isolated crystallites were formed for other types of substrates. Thermal conductivity may influence the size and shapes of V 2 O 5 crystallite forms on different surfaces. Silicon absorbs heat more effectively than sapphire or glass, resulting in nanorod formation. A decrease in optical bandgap and electrical conduction has been observed due to increased oxygen vacancies, induced electron scattering, and trapping centres on N + implantation. The present study thus offers the unique advantage of simultaneous reduction in optical band-gap and conductance of V 2 O 5 thin films, which is important for optoelectronic applications.
Priya et al. (Thu,) studied this question.