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

摘要

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.