Effect of buffer layer on thermochromic performances of VO2 films fabricated by magnetron sputtering

•VO2 thin films were deposited on three buffer layers-coated soda lime glass.•Amorphous TiO2 film can’t hinder the diffusion of Na ions from soda lime glass.•VO2 thin film deposited on SnO2 buffer layer shows superior thermochromic properties.

As a well-developed industrial fabricating method, magnetron sputtering technique has its distinct advantages for the large-scale production. In order to investigate the effect of buffer layer on the formation and thermochromic performances of VO2 films, using RF magnetron sputtering method, we fabricated three kinds of buffer layers SiO2, TiO2 and SnO2 on soda lime float-glass. Then according to the reactive DC magnetron sputtering method, VO2 films were deposited. Due to the restriction of heat treatment temperature when using soda lime float-glass as substrates, dense rutile phase TiO2 cannot be formed, leading to the formation of vanadium oxide compounds containing Na ions. When using SnO2 as buffer layer, we found that relatively high pure VO2 can be deposited more easily. In addition, compared with the effect of SiO2 buffer layer, we observed an enhanced visible transparency, a decreased infrared emissivity, which should be mainly originated from the modified morphology and/or the hetero-structured VO2/SnO2 interface.