SHAPE-MEMORY PROPERTIES IN NI-TI SPUTTER-DEPOSITED FILM

The objective of this research is to establish a shape-memory effect in sputter-deposited films of nickel titanium. The alloy, generically called nitinol, was prepared from sputtering targets in two different compositions. Films were deposited up to 10 mu-m in thickness on glass substrates using a dc magnetron sputtering source. The as-deposited films were amorphous in structure and did not exhibit a shape memory. The amorphous films were crystallized with a suitable annealing process, and the transformation properties were measured using differential scanning calorimetry. The crystallized films showed transition temperatures that were much lower than those of the parent material. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the films were not a single phase but showed evidence of a second phase. However, the annealed films demonstrated a strong shape-memory effect. Stress/strain measurements and physical manipulation were used to evaluate the shape recovery. These tests demonstrated sustained tensile stresses of up to 480 MPa in the high-temperature phase, and a characteristic plastic deformation in the low-temperature phase.