A Cyclic Microbend Study on LIGA Ni Microelectromechanical Systems Thin Films

Abstract

This paper presents the results of recent studies of cyclic microbend experiments and their consequences for plasticity length-scale phenomena in LIGA Ni microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) thin films. The strain–life fatigue behavior of LIGA Ni thin films is studied by performing fully reversed cyclic microbend experiments that provide insights into cyclic stress/strain evolution and cyclic failure phenomena. The effects of cyclic deformation on the plasticity length-scale parameters are also considered within the context of strain gradient plasticity theories. The implications of the results are then discussed for the analysis of plasticity and cyclic deformation in MEMS structures and other microscale systems.