Thermochromic VO2 thin films presenting a phase change at T-c=68 degrees C and having variable thickness were deposited on silicon substrates (Si-001) by radio-frequency sputtering. These thin films were obtained from optimized reduction of low Cost V2O5 targets. Depending on deposition conditions, a non-thermochromic metastable VO2 phase might also be obtained. The thermochromic thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and optical emissivity analyses. In the wavelength range 0.3 to 25 mu m, the optical transmittance of the thermochromic films exhibited a large variation between 25 and 100 degrees C due to the phase transition at T-c: the contrast in transmittance (difference between the transmittance values to 25 degrees C and 100 degrees C first increased with film thickness, then reached a maximum value. A model taking into account the optical properties of both types of VO2 film fully justified such a maximum value. The n and k optical indexes were calculated from transmittance and reflectance spectra. A significant contrast in emissivity due to the phase transition was also observed between 25 and 100 degrees C. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.