The Transformation Characteristics in Thin Film SMA Heterostructures — The Importance of Interfacial Stress Accommodation

Shape memory alloy (SMA) thin films have attracted attention due to their potential application as actuators in micromechanical systems. The stress development in Ni50Ti50 films has been measured using a cantilever beam method. It is of interest to study their transformation characteristics. We have investigated a striking change of the stress during the B2-B19 transformation. The magnitude of this stress depends on the film thickness and reflects the interface constraint. In order to obtain direct information about the interface, in situ cross-section TEM observations of NiTi/SiO2/Si heterostructures were performed at various temperatures. A layer of parent phase at the film/substrate interface was found to buffer the transformation induced stress. The origin and effect of this buffer layer was analysed based on the TEM cross-sectional observations of the formation history of the layer.