Effect of As-Processed and Annealed Microstructures on the Mechanical Properties of Liga Ni MEMS

Abstract

Microstructure–mechanical property relations of 200 μm thick LIGA deposited Ni films have been investigated with a combination of optical cross-sectional microscopy and microsample tensile testing. Measurements of the grain size and morphology of nine different asdeposited films evidenced a predominantly columnar microstructure with significant variations in grain size. These as-deposited microstructural variations resulted in a range of Young’s modulus, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength values that are consistent with previously reported measurements, but these values did not appear to scale with the as-deposited microstructures. By contrast, significant changes in both the microstructure and mechanical properties were observed when these films were annealed at 800’C for 1 hour. Recrystallization and grain growth transformed the grain morphology from columnar to equiaxed, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in the tensile strength and corresponding increase in the ductility of the annealed films.