STRUCTURAL AND SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THIN FILMS OF TRANSITION METAL OXIDES A.S.Avilov, N.L.Levshin, V.I.Khitrova, Institute of Crystallography of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky prospect 59, Moscow 117333, RUSSIA

Thin films of the transition metal (IY-Y) oxides are the perspective materials of microelectronics and electron technique due to wide range of physical properties. At the same time study of the processes of oxidation of this metals, beginning mostly from the surface, has a great scientific and applied significance. The processes of oxidation of V, Nb, Ta have been investigated by EDSA in detail. In equilibriumconditions the diffusion processes take place only on the initial stages of oxides formation. In nonequilibrium conditions the oxidation of Nb, Ta the transition to the highest oxide is realized through a row of homologically tied together transitional structures, having in their construction separate fragments of structure which are common with the pentaoxide. The "chain" of structural reconstruction depends strongly on the initial conditions. Neglecting of this dependence brings to large throwing of results. The structural mechanism of oxidation of Ti, Zr, Hf is proposed on the basis of high- and low-temperature modifications of this metals. The possibilities of EDSA in investigation of defect phases and chemical composition are demonstrated. The phase transition semiconductor-metal in orientated films vanadium dioxide under influence IR-irradiation studied with using pulse photothermic deformation of surface. The concavity of film, arising during local phase transition, was explained by the directions of the crystallographic axes. UV-irradiation led to increasing of the phase transition temperature on 2 K and to forming of clusters of the tetragonal phase, which was preserved upon temperature lower than critical.