Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

Atomic Layer Deposition of Vanadium Dioxide and a Temperature-dependent Optical Model
Published on: May 23, 2018
Nature of the metal insulator transition in ultrathin epitaxial vanadium dioxide
N F Quackenbush1, J W Tashman, J A Mundy
1Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Binghamton University , Binghamton, New York 13902, United States.
Abstract:
We have combined hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with angular dependent O K-edge and V L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the electronic structure of metallic and insulating end point phases in 4.1 nm thick (14 units cells along the c-axis of VO2) films on TiO2(001) substrates, each displaying an abrupt MIT centered at ~300 K with width <20 K and a resistance change of ΔR/R > 10(3). The dimensions, quality of the films, and stoichiometry were confirmed by a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy loss spectroscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, and resistivity measurements. The measured end point phases agree with their bulk counterparts. This clearly shows that, apart from the strain induced change in transition temperature, the underlying mechanism of the MIT for technologically relevant dimensions must be the same as the bulk for this orientation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Fermi Level Dynamics
Electron affinity in semiconductors refers to the energy gap between the minimum of its conduction band and the vacuum level and it is a critical parameter in determining how easily a semiconductor can accept additional electrons.
The work...
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The semiconductor's...
Valence Bond Theory
Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
Semiconductors
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
Properties of Transition Metals

