An enhanced scheme for a functional bilayered composite material with shape memory effect has been successfully applied on the microscale to fabricate a thermally controlled microactuator. Fabrication of cantilever-type microactuators from melt spun ribbon of TiNiCu shape memory alloy included electro-chemical polishing followed by focused ion beam milling and ion-assisted chemical vapor deposition of Pt elastic layer. The smallest working microactuator had a volume of 0.9 µm3. The structure and thermal stability of the Pt layer have been investigated. The fabricated actuator has been proposed for use as micromechanical nanotweezers for manipulation of submicron- and nano-sized objects. Manipulation of a carbon nanotube bunch has been demonstrated.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.