Abstract For decades, the practical application of VO2-based smart windows is limited by its low luminous transmittance (Tlum) and solar modulation ability (ΔTsol). In this study, SnO2/VO2 thermochromic thin films were produced on amorphous glass substrates via pulsed laser deposition and were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometry, and resistance measurements. By adjusting the thickness of SnO2 buffer layer, not only the semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature of VO2 films can be effectively tuned, but also the Tlum and ΔTsol of VO2 films can be increased synchronously to 54.9% and 8.3%, respectively. It is shown that the grain size of VO2 films increases from ~15 nm to ~90 nm with the SnO2 buffer layer thicknesses increase from 25 nm to 125 nm, and consequently the electrical and optical properties of VO2 films are effectively improved. These can be attributed to the fact that SnO2 buffer layer can effectively control the grain size, surface roughness and optical band gap of VO2.The results suggest that the SnO2 buffer layer is very beneficial for the growth of high-quality VO2 films on glass substrates, which is of importance for the application of VO2 in energy-efficient smart windows.

中文翻译：

---

采用SnO2缓冲层同步提高VO2薄膜的透光率和太阳调制能力

摘要 几十年来，基于VO2的智能窗户的实际应用受到其低透光率（Tlum）和太阳能调制能力（ΔTsol）的限制。在这项研究中，SnO2/VO2 热致变色薄膜通过脉冲激光沉积在非晶玻璃基板上制备，并通过 X 射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜、原子力显微镜、分光光度法和电阻测量进行表征。通过调整SnO2缓冲层的厚度，不仅可以有效调节VO2薄膜的半导体-金属转变温度，而且VO2薄膜的Tlum和ΔTsol可以分别同步提高到54.9%和8.3%。结果表明，随着 SnO2 缓冲层厚度从 25 nm 增加到 125 nm，VO2 薄膜的晶粒尺寸从 ~15 nm 增加到 ~90 nm，从而有效改善了VO2薄膜的电学和光学性能。这些可以归因于SnO2缓冲层可以有效控制VO2的晶粒尺寸、表面粗糙度和光学带隙。结果表明SnO2缓冲层非常有利于在玻璃基板上生长高质量的VO2薄膜，这对于VO2在节能智能窗户中的应用具有重要意义。