Staircase-like microstructure in vanadium oxide films

Preparing vanadium oxide films by the inorganic sol-gel method under certain conditions might result in a novel microstructure with micro-steps and micropores in the films, which is a typical morphology of a facet crystal. The new microstructure was completely different from those found in other vanadium oxide films prepared by other techniques. The layered staircase-like structure might be inherited from the layered structure of the precursor, V₂O₅ gel films, as suggested from the similarities between the two.