Grain Size and Phase Transformation Behavior of TiNi Shape-Memory-Alloy Thin Film under Different Deposition Conditions.

TiNi shape-memory-alloy thin films can be used as small high-speed actuators or sensors because they exhibit a rapid response rate. In recent years, the transformation temperature of these films, manufactured via a magnetron sputtering method, was found to be lower than that of the bulk alloys owing to the small size of the grain. In this study, deposition conditions (growth rate, film thickness, and substrate temperature) affecting the grain size of thin films were investigated. The grain size of the thin film alloys was found to be most responsive to the substrate temperature.

Composition Dependence of the ß Phase Stability and Mechanical Properties of Ti-Nb Thin Films.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are commonly used for various applications, e.g., in the aerospace and automotive industries, robotics, and biomedical sciences. Although Ti-Ni SMAs are commercially available, the low biocompatibility of Ni has stimulated research into the development of Ti-Nb based SMAs as potential replacements of Ti-Ni alloys in biomedical applications. Ti-Nb alloys have attracted attention because of their low stiffness and superelasticity. Superelastic thin films can be used in medical applications, including the fabrication of stents for neurovascular blood vessels, which relies on a thin film and on the use of a Ti-Nb alloy coating for less biocompatible alloys. In this study, Ti-Nb thin films were prepared using magnetron sputtering. A Nb content in the range 12.2-35.9 at.% was used in the films, which was determined using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction measurement was used to analyze the crystal structure of the thin films, and their mechanical properties were investigated using nanoindentation.

Phase Stability and Properties of Ti-Nb-Zr Thin Films and Their Dependence on Zr Addition.

Ternary Ti-Nb-Zr alloys were prepared by a magnetron sputtering method with porous structures observed in some of them. In bulk, in order to control the porous structure, a space holder (NH4HCO3) is used in the sintering method. However, in the present work, we show that the porous structure is also dependent on alloy composition. The results from Young's modulus tests confirm that these alloys obey d-electrons alloy theory. However, the Young's modulus of ternary thin films (≈80⁻95 GPa) is lower than that for binary alloys (≈108⁻123 GPa). The depth recovery ratio of ternary Ti-Nb-Zr thin films is also higher than that for binary ß-Ti-(25.9⁻34.2)Nb thin film alloys.

Effect of Substrate Roughness on Adhesion and Structural Properties of Ti-Ni Shape Memory Alloy Thin Film.

Ti-Ni shape memory alloy (SMA) thin films are very attractive material for industrial and medical applications such as micro-actuator, micro-sensors, and stents for blood vessels. An important property besides shape memory effect in the application of SMA thin films is the adhesion between the film and the substrate. When using thin films as micro-actuators or micro-sensors in MEMS, the film must be strongly adhered to the substrate. On the other hand, when using SMA thin films in medical devices such as stents, the deposited alloy thin film must be easily separable from the substrate for efficient processing. In this study, we investigated the effect of substrate roughness on the adhesion of Ti-Ni SMA thin films, as well as the structural properties and phase-transformation behavior of the fabricated films. Ti-Ni SMA thin films were deposited onto etched glass substrates with magnetron sputtering. Radio frequency plasma was used for etching the substrate. The adhesion properties were investigated through progressive scratch test. Structural properties of the films were determined via Feld emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Phase transformation behaviors were observed with differential scanning calorimetry and low temperature-XRD. Ti-Ni SMA thin film deposited onto rough substrate provides higher adhesive strength than smooth substrate. However the roughness of the substrate has no influence on the growth and crystallization of the Ti-Ni SMA thin films.