Applications of Shape Memory Alloys in Mems Devices: S.Mukesh Kumar, M.Vanitha Lakshmi

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940
ISSN (Online) : 2278-1021
International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering

Vol. 2, Issue 2, February 2013
APPLICATIONS OF SHAPE MEMORY

ALLOYS IN MEMS DEVICES
S.Mukesh Kumar1, M.Vanitha Lakshmi2
PG Scholar, Dept of PG Studies, S.A Engineering College, Chennai, India 1
Assistant Professor, Dept of PG Studies, S.A Engineering College, Chennai, India 2
ABSTRACT: The position control in shape memory alloys are difficult because of its non linear thermo mechanical
behaviour, hence they are generally designed in two stable positions i.e. Austenite Phase ( High temperature state)
and Martensite Phase ( Low temperature state). Shape memory alloys are the material that has the ability to retain
to its original shape when heated. SMAs has high resistivity that produces joule heating effect when current is
applied. TiNi SMA has many properties which make is it significant in MEMS devices. In this paper The NiTi - Si
Shape memory thin film based based microcantilever was designed which has three stable positions. The effect of
temperature over the NiTi-Si thin film based microcantilever and the effect of change of structural dimensions of
cantilever is analysed. It demonstrates a way to have multiple stable positions in an SMA device, which can have
some significant advantages in many real engineering applications..
Keywords: Joule heating , Microcantilever, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Shape Memory Alloys
(SMA), Titanium Nickel (TiNi).
promising and high performance material in the field of

I. INTRODUCTION micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) applications.
Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are metallic alloys that
undergo a solid-to-solid phase transformation which can Attractive solutions have been achieved by using shape
exhibit large recoverable strains. Shape-memory alloys memory alloys (SMAs).
(SMAs) possess an array of desirable properties: high Besides high work outputs, further important features of
power to weight (or force to volume) ratio, thus the ability SMA microdevices are compatibility to microelectronics, a
to recover large transformation stress and strain upon high reliability due to an intrinsic actuation mechanism and
heating and cooling, pseudo elasticity (or super elasticity), a frictionless actuation. The position control in SMAs is
high damping capacity, good chemical resistance and not an easy matter as their thermo mechanical behavior is
biocompatibility [2,3]. nonlinear, with hysteresis and history dependent. Hence,
When an SMA is cold, or below its transformation most SMAs devices are designed for two positions only,
temperature, it has a very low yield strength and can be i.e. a high temperature (austenite phase) position and a low
deformed quite easily into any new shape--which it will temperature (martensite phase) position [4]. A fabrication
retain. However, when the material is heated above its concept based on the lateral micromachining of SMA
transformation temperature it undergoes a change in crystal sheets or films has been developed [5], which allows
structure which causes it to return to its original shape. If integration of several functional units in a single SMA
the SMA encounters any resistance during this piece and thus, a high flexibility in device design.
transformation, it can generate extremely large forces. This Application of SMA in MEMS also facilitate simplification
phenomenon provides a unique mechanism for remote of mechanisms with flexibility of design and creation of
actuation. clean, friction free and non-vibration movement.
This attracted much attention to the research of SMAs as In this paper, the NiTi-Si thin film based micro
smart (or intelligent) and functional materials. More cantilever’s three stable positions and the effect of
recently, thin film SMA has been recognized as a changing the structural dimensions are discussed.
Copyright to IJARCCE www.ijarcce.com 1122

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940

II. NICKEL TITANIUM SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY • Energy Conversion Efficiency: 5%

Nickel Titanium, also known as NITINOL, it has the • Work Output: ~1 Joule/gram
ability to undergo deformation at one temperature, then • Available Transformation Temperatures: -100 to
recover its original shape when heated. NiTi SMA is used +100° C
in various MEMS devices such as Microcantilever,
III. MEMS DEVICES AND SMA ACTUATION
Microgripper, Micropumps and Micromirrors etc.,.
Some basic requirements for TiNi films used in MEMS The main advantages of NITINOL include high power
applications are low residual stress to prevent deformation density, huge displacement, large actuation force, low
of MEMS structure, high actuation speed and fast response operation voltage. At the same time there are many
with precise control of deformation and strain, good disadvantages such as complex thermo mechanical
adhesion on substrate (free of cracking, delamination and behaviour, nonlinearity, large hysteresis loop, low energy
spallation), durable and reliable shape memory effects, efficiency, difficult position control, degradation and
wide range choice of working temperatures, good fatigue problems etc. With all this disadvantages this
resistance to surface wear and corrosion, biocompatible and SMAs are used in some MEMS devices where large force
good corrosion resistance (in case of application in bio- and duty cycle is required
MEMS). Some of the properties of NiTi SMA is given
4.1 MicroCantilever
below,
Cantilever is a device that has one end fixed and other
2.1 PROPERTIES OF NITINOL [9,18-20]: end is free. The NiTi is sputtered over the cantilever and
the cantilever bends accordingly for the temperature. The
2.1.1 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NITINOL NiTi–Si cantilever was fabricated by sputtering a NiTi thin
layer of 5 µm on top of a Si cantilever beam. The silicon
• Density: 6.45gms/cc beam of 15 µm in thickness was produced by traditional
• Melting Temperature: 1240-1310° C silicon etching technique.
• Resistivity (hi-temp state): 82 µohm-cm The SMA cantilever can be actuated by Thermal
• Resistivity (lo-temp state): 76 µohm-cm actuation and Electro thermal actuation. The process of
• Thermal Conductivity: 18 W/m K heating the cantilever by direct application heat and the
• Electrical Conductivity (hi-temp state): 1.219 x actuation due to this is method is thermal actuation.
10-6 S/m [21] The process heating the material by application of
• Heat Capacity: 450 J/Kg* K. electrical current or electrical potential and produce the
• Latent Heat: 5.78 cal/gm; 24.2 J/gm actuation.This type of actuation is called electro thermal
• Magnetic Susceptibility (hi-temp): 3.8 µemu/gm actuation. This applicable when the material has high
• Magnetic Susceptibility (lo-temp): 2.5 µemu/gm electrical resistivity of the material.
The cantilever of 3267µm in length and 1522 µm in
2.1.2 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF NITINOL: width[4] is used for the analysis. The cantilever was
thermal
• Ultimate Tensile Strength: 754 - 960 MPa or 110 -
140 ksi
• Typical Elongation to Fracture: 15.5 percent
• Young’s Modulus (austenite ) = 75 - 83 GPa
• Young’s Modulus (martensite) = 28 – 41 GPa
• Typical Yield Strength (hi-temp): 560 MPa, 80 ksi
• Typical Yield Strength (lo-temp): 100 MPa, 15 ksi
• Approximate Elastic Modulus (hi-tem): 75 GPa,
11 Mpsi
• Approximate Elastic Modulus (lo-temp): 28 GPa, Figure 4.1: Shows the cross sectional view of the
4 Mpsi cantilever[4]
• Poisson's Ratio: 0.33
2.1.3 ACTUATION:

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940

actuated . The temperature below 293.15K the cantilever The graph gives a brief idea how the stress changes as
bends upwards and for the temperature above the 293.17K the slot length changes. At 293.15K as the slot length
it bends downwards. increases the stress increases and similarly at 293.17K as
the slot length increases the stress gets reduced. The slot
width and slot height is fixed.
Figure 4.2 Shows the cantilever structure with the slot that
is created using Femtosecond Ti:Sapphire Laser
Micromachining System [4].
The slot is created using the Femtosecond Ti: sapphire

micromachining system to produce the resistive path for
producing joule heating effect. Figure 4.4 Shows the relation between the stress and the
slot width
4.1.1 Thermal Actuation:
The temperature for the cantilever is applied from At 293.15K as the slot width is varied the stress gets
173.15K to 393K. The temperature is varied at a regular increased and similarly at 293.17K as the slot width
intervals and the bending of the cantilever is observed. The increases the stress decreases. The slot length and slot
iterated solutions are fine tuned to get the temperature of height is fixed.
upward bending and the temperature of downward bending.
From this for the temperature below 293.15K the NiTi-Si
cantilever bends upward and for the temperature above the
293.17K the NiTi-Si cantilever bends downwards.
Then for knowing the structural dimension effect on
NiTi-Si cantilever the Slot length, Slot width, Slot height
was varied and the stress variation is observed.
Figure 4.5 Shows the relation between the stress and the
slot height
At 293.15K as the slot height is decreased the stress

gets reduced and similarly at 293.17K as the slot height is
reduced stress gets increased. The slot length and slot width
is fixed. As discussed before we now clearly see the
Figure 4.3 Shows the relation between the stress and the variation level of stress when the temperature is applied for
slot length various slot length of the cantilever.

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940

4.1.2 Electro Thermal Actuation: . The downward motion of the cantilever is governed by
When the electric current is applied the stress in the the reverse phase transformation in NiTi (large contract in
cantilever is distributed at the corners of the cantilever. The NiTi layer). The difference in thermal expansion
potential is applied for two electric current values. This coefficient between silicon and NiTi causes a slight
current is converted to potential by using, reverse. At 0.6mA the cantilever bends upward and the
cantilever bends downward at the 0.55mA.
V=IxR …. (1) This bending occurs due to joule heating and the
temperature that is produced at the 0.55mA is greater than
Where I is the current, R is the electrical resistivity. 293.17K hence the cantilever bends downwards and also
when 0.6mA is applied the temperature built is below
The value of electrical resistivity R can be calculated 293.15K and the cantilever bends upwards.
using the following equation, As the temperature becomes higher, the high
temperature zone is well over the transformation finish
temperature. Subsequently, the NiTi film in that area
....(2) (central of the bottom cantilever) starts to expand.The
expansion of NiTi film at the central bottom can cause
Where ϱ is the resistivity of the material, L is the length of reverse bouncing, i.e. buckling, in the cantilever.The
the cantilever and A is the cross sectional area of the current density in the cantilever is maximum at the end of
cantilever i.e. the slot where the temperature is also high.
A=WxH ....(3)
By using the above values the electric current is

applied in form of electric potential. When applying the
potential values the cantilever gets heated and starts
bending due to the joule heating property.
The temperature distribution is also uneven in the
.
structure. The temperature is maximum at the end of the
Figure 4.7 shows the stress distribution in the cantilever at
cantilever. The temperature along Line 2 is fairly uniform
the input edge.
as compared with that along Line 1. This is obvious, since
Line 2 is very close to the end of the cantilever. The high
The graph shows the distribution of the stress in the
temperature zone is at around the end of the slot. The
cantilever when the electric current is applied to the NiTi
temperature distribution along Line 1 is pretty symmetrical,
layer. The current density remains the same for varied slot
and the highest temperature is at the middle.the cantilever
length and slot width From the graph it is clear that the
initially at the upward bent position as the cantilever bends
stress is distributed at the corners of the cantilever
downward stress gets increased
structure.Similarly the stress is distributed along the length
of the cantilever and more at the corners of the cantilever.
Figure 4.8 shows the distribution of the stress along the

Figure 4.6 shows the top view of the cantilever r[4] length of the cantilever

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940

Figure 4.9 Shows the full harmonic sequence of images of the NiTi-Si cantilever bending at the 0.6mA.
The dynamic data substitution, the cantilever initially at the micro cantilever is reported. At 293.15K as the slot
the upward bent position as the cantilever bends length, slot width increases the stress increases and
downward stress gets increased. At 0.6mA the cantilever similarly at 293.17K as the slot length, slot width
bends upward and the cantilever bends downward at the increases the stress gets reduced. At 293.15K as the slot
0.55mA. This bending occurs due to joule heating and the height is decreased the stress gets reduced and similarly at
temperature that is produced at the 0.55mA is greater 293.17K as the slot height is reduced stress gets increased.
than 293.17K hence the cantilever bends downwards and As the length and width is increased the displacement of
also when 0.6mA is applied the temperature built is below the cantilever also increases. The reported cantilever has
293.15K and the cantilever bends upwards. The current three stable positions such flat, down and up depending on
density in the cantilever is maximum at the end of the slot the electric current applied and this is to the non uniform
where the temperature is also high. The current density is temperature distribution in the cantilever upon heating. At
same along the various length of the slot and various 0.55mA the cantilever bends down as the temperature
slot width. By using the SMA over the Silicon cantilever induced is more than 293.17K and at 0.6mA cantilever
the stable position of the SMA is increased i.e. there were bends upwards as the temperature induced is 293.15K.
only two stable positions in the cantilever they were high
temperature state (austenite phase) and low temperature REFERENCES
state (martensite phase), now by using this the stable [1] Yongqing Fu *, Hejun Du , Weimin Huang , Sam Zhang , Min Hu
positions are flat, up and down. “TiNi-based thin films in MEMS applications: a review”, Sens.
Actuators A 112 (2004) 395–408.
under certain conditions (most importantly, geometry [2] K. Otsuka, X. Ren, “Recent developments in the research of
of cantilever), temperature difference can bring an NiTi– shape-memory alloys”, Intermetallics 7 (1999) 511–528.
silicon cantilever to buckle, which causes significant [3] J.V. Humbeeck, “Non-medical applications of shape-memory
reverse motion alloys”, Mater. Sci. Eng. A273–A275 (1999) 134–148.
[4] W.M. Huang ∗, Q.Y. Liu, L.M. He1, J.H. Yeo Micro “NiTi–Si
cantilever with three stable positions”, Sens. Actuators A 114
IV. CONCLUSION (2004) 118–122
In this paper, the behaviour of a micro NiTi–silicon [5] M. Kohl, E. Quandt, A. Schu¨ßler, R. Trapp, D.M. Allen,
cantilever actuated by thermal and electrical current is “Characterization of NiTi shape memory microdevices produced
by microstructuring of etched sheets or sputter deposited film”, in:
reported and also the effect of structural dimensions over

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940

H. Borgmann, K. Lenz _Eds.., Proceedings of Actuator 94,

Bremen, Germany, 1994,pp. 317–320.
[6] M. Kohl, E. Just, W. Pfleging, S. Miyazaki, “SMA microgripper
with integrated antagonism”, Sens. Actuators A 83 (2000) 208–
213.
[7] W.M. Huang, J.P. Tan, X.Y. Gao, J.H. Yeo, “Design, testing and
simulation of NiTi shape memory alloy thin film based micro-
grippers”, J. Microlithogr. Microfabrication Microsyst. 2 (2003)
185–190.
[8] T. Mineta, T. Mitsui, Y. Watanabe, S. Kobayashi, Y. Haga, M.
Esashi, “Batch fabricated flat meandering shape memory alloy
actuator for active catheter”, Sens. Actuators A 88 (2001) 112–
120.
[9] Weimin Huang, “Shape Memory Alloys and their Application to
Actuators for Deployable Structures”, Dissertation submitted to
the University of Cambridge for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy, March1998.
[10] MICROSYSTEM DESIGN , Stephen D. Senturia(Massachusetts
Institute of Technology ), eBook ISBN: 0-306-47601-0.
[11] SOIMUMPs Design Handbook, Allen Cowen, Greg Hames,
DeMaul Monk, Steve Wilcenski, and Busbee Hardy MEMSCAP
Inc.
[12] An Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems Engineering,
Second Edition, Nadim Maluf, Kirt Williams.
[13] Sanghaun Kim and Maenghyo Cho, “Numerical simulation of a
double SMA wire actuator using the two-way shape memory
effect of SMA”, iopscience.iop.org 2007 Smart Mater. Struct. 16
372
[14] Takahiro Namazu*, Akinobu Hashizume, Shozo Inoue,
“Thermomechanical tensile characterization of Ti–Ni shape
memory alloy films for design of MEMS actuator” Sensors and
Actuators A 139 (2007) 178–186
[15] E. Shameli, A. Alasty *, H. Salaarieh, “Stability analysis and
nonlinear control of a miniature shape memory alloy actuator for
precise applications”, Mechatronics 15 (2005) 471–486.
[16] M. Kohl, B. Krevet, E. Just, “SMA microgripper system”, Sens.
Actuators A 97 -98 (2002) 646 - 652.
[17] Shape memory allos and its properties;
http://www.smaterial.com,
http://www.stanford.edu/~richlin1/sma/sma.html
[18] Shape memory allos and its properties; NITINOL and its
properties , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape-memory_alloy ,
http://www.tinialloy.com/pdf/introductiontosma.pdf ,
[19] Physical Properties of NITINOL
http://jmmedical.com/resources/221/Nitinol-Technical-
Properties.html#nitinol-physical-properties.
[20] Convertors from electrical resistivity to electrical conductivity and
conversions, http://www.engineeringtools.com.

Applications of Shape Memory Alloys in Mems Devices: S.Mukesh Kumar, M.Vanitha Lakshmi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Applications of Shape Memory Alloys in Mems Devices: S.Mukesh Kumar, M.Vanitha Lakshmi

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Applications of Shape Memory Alloys in Mems Devices: S.Mukesh Kumar, M.Vanitha Lakshmi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ISSN (Print) : 2319-5940

ISSN (Online) : 2278-1021

International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering