Strain-dependent electrical resistance of tin-doped indium oxide on polymer substrates

The increase in sheet resistance of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films on polyethylene terephthalate with increasing tensile strain is reported. The increase in resistance is related to the number of cracks in the conducting layer which depends upon applied strain and film thickness. We propose a simple model that describes the finite but increasing resistance in the cracked ITO layer in terms of a small volume of conducting material within each crack. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)02710-8].