We investigated the relationship between top electrode materials and Pr1-xCaMnO3 (PCMO) thin films on the electric field driven resistance switching property. We used Al, Pt, Au/Cr and Au (10 mol%)-Pd (90 mol%) alloy metals as the top electrodes on PCMO films with a Pt bottom electrode to investigate the top electrode effect. The thin films with an Al and Au/Cr top electrode exhibited the electric field driven resistance switching phenomenon. The Al/PCMO film showed non-linear current-voltage characteristics with a large hysteresis. On the contrary, the thin films with Pt and Au-Pd alloy top electrode exhibited linear current-voltage characteristics without hysteresis. We found the resistance of the electrode/PCMO film is dominated by interface resistance, and switching is an interfacial phenomenon with characteristic non-linear current-voltage responses under both static and dynamic conditions. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.