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Size effects on stress relaxation across the metal–insulator transition in VO2 thin films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2011

Viswanath Balakrishnan ,
Changhyun Ko  and
Shriram Ramanathan
Viswanath Balakrishnan
Affiliation:
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Changhyun Ko
Affiliation:
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Shriram Ramanathan*
Affiliation:
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: shriram@seas.harvard.edu
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Abstract

We report on in situ stress relaxation behavior of vanadium dioxide thin films across the thermally driven metal–insulator transition (MIT) and size effects. Although the residual stress follows an inverse relationship with film thickness, the metal–insulator phase transition-induced stress varies nonmonotonically with increase in film thickness and grain size. Maximum transformation stress of −447 MPa is observed across the MIT for ∼170-nm-thick film with an average grain size of ∼70 nm. The interplay between constraint effects and nanostructure leads to nontrivial stress relaxation trends and provides insights into design of phase transition materials for switching devices.

Keywords

Metal–insulator transitionMicrostructurePhase transformation
Type
Materials Communications
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 11 , 14 June 2011 , pp. 1384 - 1387
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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