This paper describes the development of a novel silicon (Si) cantilever beam device actuated by titanium–nickel (Ti–Ni) shape memory alloy (SMA) films. A Ti–Ni SMA film can yield high work output per unit volume, so a Ti–Ni film-actuated Si cantilever beam device is a prospective tool for use as a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) probe card that provides a relatively large contact force between the probe and electrode pad in spite of its minute size. Before fabrication of the device, the thermomechanical deformation behavior of Ti–Ni SMA films with various compositions was investigated in order to determine a sufficient constituent film for a MEMS actuator. As a result, Ti–Ni films having a Ti content of 50.2 to 52.6 atomic% (at%) were found to be usable for operation as a room temperature actuator. We have developed a Ti–Ni film-actuated Si cantilever beam device, which can produce a contact force by the cantilever bending when in contact, and also by the shape memory effect (SME) of the Ti–Ni film arising from Joule heating. The SME of the Ti–Ni film can generate an additional average contact force of 200 µN with application of 500 mW to the film. In addition to physical contact, a dependable electric contact between the Au film-coated probe tip and the Al film electrode was achieved. However, the contact resistance exhibited an average value of 25 Ω, which would have to be reduced for practical use. Reliability tests confirmed the durability of the Ti–Ni film-actuated Si cantilever-beam, in that the contact resistance was constant throughout a large number of physical contacts (>104 times).