Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of vanadium diselenide thin films

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) of vanadium diselenide thin films on glass substrates was achieved by reaction of [V(NMe₂)₄] and ^tBu₂Se. X-ray diffraction showed that the VSe₂ films were crystalline with preferential growth either along the (1 0 1) or the (1 1 0) direction. Energy-dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX) gave a V:Se ratio close to 1:2 for all films. The films were matt black in appearance, were adhesive, passed the Scotch tape test but could be scratched with a steel scalpel. SEM showed that the films were composed of plate-like crystallites orientated parallel to the substrate which become longer and thicker with increasing deposition temperature. Attempts to produce vanadium selenide films were also performed using ^tBu₂Se and two different vanadium precursors: VCl₄ and VOCl₃. Both were found to be unsuitable for producing VSe₂ from the APCVD reaction with ^tBu₂Se. The VSe₂ showed charge density wave transition at 110-115 K.