Effect of Substrate Type on Overall Performance of Magnetostrictive Thin Film Cantilever Actuator for MEMS

In this study, four kinds of substrates (Si, glass, Fe, polyimide) with the magnetostrictive thin film layers were prepared and investigated to characterize the magnetic and mechanical behaviors due to the different substrates. The substrates were fabricated to have cantilever shapes of 50, 150, and 500um thickness, on which 1 ~ 10 μm thick TbDyFe films are deposited by DC magnetron sputtering . The magnetization of each sample was examined using VSM (Vibrating Sample Magnetometer) and magnetostriction was measured using capacitance method to characterize magneto-mechanical behaviors. The magnetostriction induced deflections were compared and discussed with possibility of micro actuator applications.