Electrically controlled metal–insulator transition process in VO2thin films

We report the evolution process of VO(2) thin films from the insulating phase to the metallic phase under current injection for the two-electrode-based thin-film devices. Based on electrical characterization and Raman microscopic detection, it was found that there exist two critical current densities, based on which the insulator-to-metal transition process can be divided into three stages. In stage I with low current injection, the VO(2) film in the insulating (semiconducting) phase acts as a resistor until the first critical current density, above which the insulator-metal transition is a percolation process with metallic rutile and insulating monoclinic phases coexisting (stage II); while beyond a second critical current density, a filamentary current path with pure metallic phase is formed with the remaining part outside of the current path receding back to the pure insulating phase (stage III). We confirm that a critical current density is required for the onset of electrically induced insulator-to-metal transition in VO(2) thin films.