Study of Ni-W alloy as a MEMS Material

In micro mechanical devices with high aspect ratios, LIGA or LIGA-like processes are commonly used. In such a process, the material of the device structure is electroplated with nickel or copper because of ease of deposition. In this paper, an alternative material, electroplated nickel-tungsten alloy is examined as an MEMS material. Preliminary results of measurements of the mechanical, chemical and magnetoelectrical properties are shown and discussed. It is found that the Ni-W alloy film shows excellent characteristics such as low internal friction, high chemical resistance.