Preparation and properties of vanadium dioxide thin films for uncooled microbolometer

Vanadium dioxide thin films are used for uncooled microbolometers due to their high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). This paper describes the preparation and properties of the films. The films are deposited on a quartz substrate by low temperature reactive ion-beam sputtering and post annealing at a temperature of 500/spl deg/C. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicates that the films are mixed vanadium oxides of mainly V/sup 4+/ and V/sup 5+/. The TCR value of -1.86%K/sup -1/ at a temperature of 25/spl deg/C is achieved through electrical conductivity measurements.