Microfabricated Cantilevers Based on Sputtered Thin-Film Ni50Ti50 Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)

Abstract

In this work, we discuss the design and fabrication of a nickel-titanium (Ni50Ti50) shape memory alloy (SMA) cantilever array that was thermally actuated by harnessing the residual stress difference during the martensite-to-austenite phase transformation during heating. The cantilever devices were fabricated on a silicon (Si) wafer using standard microfabrication techniques and released using a xenon difluoride (XeF2) dry-etch technique and may therefore be applicable to microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch or actuator applications. We demonstrated partially released devices capable of tearing a 1 3 m rib of Si upon thermal actuation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA623476

Entities

People

  • Christopher J. Morris
  • Cory R. Knick

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actuators
  • Alloys
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Fabrication
  • Films
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Microelectromechanical Systems
  • Microfabrication
  • Microscopes
  • Nitric Acid
  • Phase Transformations
  • Residual Stress
  • Residuals
  • Scanning Electron Microscopes
  • Shape Memory Alloys
  • Thin Films

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Marine Propulsion Engineering and Naval Architecture
  • Nanofabrication and Microfabrication.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems