Thermoelastic properties of micron-size actuators based on the Ti2NiCu//Pt composite with shape-memory effect

Thermomechanical properties of microactuators with shape-memory effect (SME) based on the Ti2NiCu/Pt layered composite are analyzed. Atomic-force microscopy is used to experimentally determine rigidity of the composite microactuators that represent cantilevers with sizes of 50 × 2 × 1 μm and a thickness of the SME active alloy layer of 0.5 μm in a temperature interval of 20–100°C. Forces that are exerted by the composite actuator on a microscopic object are quantitatively estimated. The experimental data are in reasonable agreement with the calculated results.