The effect of applied strain on the resistance of VO2 thin films

Vanadium dioxide thin films have been synthesized by pulsed laser deposition from purl vanadium metal targets. The electrical characteristics of these films were measured as a function of externally applied strain, based on three-point bend geometry. It is observed that strain significantly affects the resistance of the VO2 thin films below their metallic-semiconducting transformation temperature (0.04% in-plane tensile strain causing similar to 35% reduction in resistance). Moreover, the levels of strain required to cause such resistance changes are well within those which can be produced by many strictive materials. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(97)03251-8].