Mechanical characterization of NiTi and NiTiCu free-standing thin films

Abstract

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been an active field of research for decades. SMAs are being extensively used in functional devices because of their ability to have an elastic strain of up to 10%. With the rapid advancement in MEMS technology, it is necessary to characterize the behavior of SMAs at a thin-film scale. However, fabrication of SMAs at a thin-film scale is still a challenge and requires extensive optimization of the process parameters. The reported research is conducted with a goal to pave the way towards the utilization of NiTi and NiTiCu thin-films in MEMS devices. The research reports an optimal process window for both NiTi and NiTiCu thin-films.