  The temperature dependence of the Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) is
studied with a VO_2-based two-terminal device. When a constant voltage is
applied to the device, an abrupt current jump is observed with temperature.
With increasing applied voltages, the transition temperature of the MIT current
jump decreases. We find a monoclinic and electronically correlated metal (MCM)
phase between the abrupt current jump and the structural phase transition
(SPT). After the transition from insulator to metal, a linear increase in
current (or conductivity) is shown with temperature until the current becomes a
constant maximum value above T_{SPT}=68^oC. The SPT is confirmed by micro-Raman
spectroscopy measurements. Optical microscopy analysis reveals the absence of
the local current path in micro scale in the VO_2 device. The current uniformly
flows throughout the surface of the VO_2 film when the MIT occurs. This device
can be used as a programmable critical temperature sensor.
