Preparation and properties of V2O5 thin films for energy-efficient selective-surface applications

Thin V2O5 films have been prepared by thermal evaporation onto glass substrates at a pressure of about 1.99×10−3 Pa. The temperature dependence of electrical measurements exhibits an anomaly in resistivity at a temperature around 329 K. Temperature co-efficient of resistance (TCR) studies show positive values, so indicating semi-metallic behaviour up to a temperature of 363 K and the negative thereafter so indicating semi-conducting behaviour. Thickness-dependent resistivity measurement follows the Fuchs-Sordheimer size-effect theory. X-ray diffraction studies show that the material is amorphous. Optical studies show the material is highly transparent both in the visible and infrared regions. The integrated value of Tlum and Tsol is high, so indicating that the material is a potential candidate for selective surface applications.