Aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition of tungsten oxide films and nanorods from oxo tungsten(VI) fluoroalkoxide precursors.

Aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) of WOx was demonstrated using the oxo tungsten(VI) fluoroalkoxide single-source precursors, WO[OCCH3(CF3)2]4 and WO[OC(CH3)2CF3]4. Substoichiometric amorphous tungsten oxide thin films were grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates in nitrogen at low deposition temperature (100-250 °C). At growth temperatures above 300 °C, the W18O49 monoclinic crystalline phase was observed. The surface morphology and roughness, visible light transmittance, electrical conductivity, and work function of the tungsten oxide materials are reported. The solvent and carrier gas minimally affected surface morphology and composition at low deposition temperature; however, material crystallinity varied with solvent choice at higher temperatures. The work function of the tungsten oxide thin films grown between 150 and 250 °C was determined to be in the range 5.0 to 5.7 eV, according to ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS).