Micro pump using shape memory alloy thin films

• Main Author: Charlie, Eric.
• Other Authors: Huang Weimin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Microelectronics and semiconductor materials::Thin films
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16738
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The advance of microsystems has made micropump, as one of the most important components in microsystems, received a lot of attention in research and development. Micropump can be actuated by various mechanisms, such as electrostatic, piezoelectric, electromagnetic and shape memory alloy thin film. Thin film shape memory alloy has a very promising future as micropump actuation system because of its high force, high strain and large surface area to volume ratio which means with this actuation system, a micropump can operate at high frequency and give a high pressure and high volume displacement. Thin film shape memory alloy for micropump actuation system can be fabricated with various techniques, such as sputter deposition, pulse laser deposition, etc but this project will be focused on fabrication of thin film CuAlNi shape memory alloy by polishing of bulk shape memory alloy. This project started with theoretical design to determine the dimension of the thin film and supporting components. Based on the design, the supporting component were fabricated and followed by thin film fabrication by polishing and combination of polishing and etching. The final sample was heated beyond transformation temperature and the dome shape created from the thin film was observed. At the end of this project, the height of the dome and the strain of the thin film were measured and compared to the theoretical value.