Controlled thermal oxidation of nanostructured vanadium thin films

Pure V thin films were dc sputtered with different pressures (0.4 and 0.6 Pa) and particle incident angles alpha of 0 degrees, 20 degrees and 85 degrees, by using the GLancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) technique. The sputtered films were characterized regarding their electrical resistivity behaviour in atmospheric pressure and in-vacuum conditions as a function of temperature (40-550 degrees C), in order to control the oxidation process. Aiming at comprehending the oxidation behaviour of the samples, extensive morphological and structural studies were performed on the as-deposited and annealed samples. Main results show that, in opposition to annealing in air, the columnar nanostructures are preserved in vacuum conditions, keeping metallic-like electrical properties. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.