The infrared optical performance of VO₂ film prepared by HiPIMS

In this paper, the VO₂ thermochromic film was in-situ prepared by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS). The discharge property of HiPIMS is regulated via the average power to optimize the optical performance of VO₂ film. And the thermochromic ability characterized by △T₂₅₀₀ can exceed 55%. Besides, the phase transition temperature (e.g., ~42 °C) is much lower than 68 °C and with a narrow width of hysteresis loops (e.g., ~4 °C). Furthermore, the infrared radiation performance is studied by sputtering VO₂ film on a polished Al foil. The emittance difference (△ε) of the VO₂ film achieves 0.12 at mid-infrared regions as temperature increases, which can be distinctly distinguished from the circumstance in the thermal images. The investigation comprehensively characterizes the VO₂ film prepared by a rarely used method and demonstrates its possibility for infrared signaling and detection in industrial and military applications.