Electrical properties and morphology of obliquely deposited electrochromic WO3 films

Abstract

A thin film of WO 3 deposited obliquely (θ≈50°) improves the electro-optical response times of an electrochromic display device based on a proton insertion-extraction mechanism. The difference in the response times is attributed to morphological differences as revealed by electron microscope observations. WO 3 films were deposited normally and obliquely, by electron beam gun deposition technique so as to have comparable resistivities in vacuum of about 10 -4 Torr. The resistivity of these films was varied in different ways by exposure to atmospheric air in a controlled manner. Systematic and comparative investigations of the variation in resistivity of these films showed that the resistivity increased in the first stage (10 -4 Torr to atmospheric pressure), attained a maximum value and decreased thereafter in the second stage on long exposure to the atmosphere. The initial increase was explained as the result of oxidation leading to better stoichiometry, limited by the process of uptake of water vapour (hydration). The latter effect was much less for normally deposited film; however, for obliquely deposited film it was much greater and resulted in a decrease in resistivity by three orders of magnitude more than for normally deposited film. The large degree of hydration in an obliquely deposited film was ascribed to its more porous nature, leading to faster electro-optical response times. It was concluded that the microstructure, the stoichiometry and the water content control the electro-optical response of WO 3 films.