Fractal Nature of Metallic and Insulating Domain Configurations in a VO2 Thin Film Revealed by Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy

Ahrum Sohn, Teruo Kanki, Kotaro Sakai, Hidekazu Tanaka, Dong Wook Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated the surface work function (WS) and its spatial distribution for epitaxial VO2/TiO2 thin films using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Nearly grain-boundary-free samples allowed observation of metallic and insulating domains with distinct WS values, throughout the metal-insulator transition. The metallic fraction, estimated from WS maps, describes the evolution of the resistance based on a two-dimensional percolation model. The KPFM measurements also revealed the fractal nature of the domain configuration.

Original languageEnglish
Article number10417
JournalScientific Reports
Volume5
DOIs
StatePublished - 18 May 2015

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