Narrow thermal hysteresis of NiTi shape memory alloy thin films with submicrometer thickness

Abstract

NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) thin films were fabricated using biased target ion beam deposition (BTIBD), which is a new technique for fabricating submicrometer-thick SMA thin films, and the capacity to exhibit shape memory behavior was investigated. The thermally induced shape memory effect (SME) was studied using the wafer curvature method to report the stress-temperature response. The films exhibited the SME in a temperature range above room temperature and a narrow thermal hysteresis with respect to previous reports. To confirm the underlying phase transformation, in situ x-ray diffraction was carried out in the corresponding phase transformation temperature range. The B2 to R-phase martensitic transformation occurs, and the R-phase transformation is stable with respect to the expected conversion to the B19′ martensite phase. The narrow hysteresis and stable R-phase are rationalized in terms of the unique properties of the BTIBD technique.