Development and characterization of shape memory Cu-Zn-Al thin films

N. HABERKORN; F.C. LOVEY; A. M. CONDÓ; J. GUIMPEL

MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING B-SOLID STATE MATERIALS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2010 p. 5 - 8

0921-5107

Ternary Cu-Zn-Al alloys show good shape memory properties with narrow hysteresis and a wide range of martensitic transformation temperature (Ms), dependingonthe alloy composition. Thin films of Cu-Zn-Al with shape memory effect were grown for the first time using a new procedure. First Cu-Al thin films were obtained by DC sputtering on Si (1 0 0) substrates at room temperature, and second, the Cu?Al films were encapsulated and annealed in the presence of a Cu-Zn-Al bulk reference in order to fix a Zn vapour pressure. In this way a controlled amount of Zn is transported from the bulk reference into the film, in such a way that the MS of the film becomes nearly the same as the bulk reference. The structures and microstructures of the as grown films were analysed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The martensitic transformation temperature was determined by resistivity measurements.