Microtweezers on the Basis of Two-Way Shape Memory Alloy Ribbon

Ti50Ni25Cu25 alloy (at.%) produced by melt-spinning technique in the form of layered amorphous-crystalline ribbons at around 40 microns of thickness was used as the base material to fabricate microtweezers (microgrippers). The obtained structural composites were capable of executing reversible bending deformations in a heating/cooling cycle. A series of microtweezers with the gap adjustable in the range from 5 to 120 μm was fabricated. The width of the gripping parts composed 400-500 μm and their length was from 650 to 1300μm depending on the gap value. Optical and scanning electron microscopes were used to monitor the operation of the tweezers. The optimum control parameters provide the response time about 1 s by the operation both in the environment and in vacuum. The complete process of manipulating (gripping - holding - moving – releasing) the carbon fibers at the diameter 10 to 20 μm with using the fabricated device was demonstrated. The microtweezers can be used for the control of microobjects of various origins, in particular nanotweezers in the systems for manipulation of nanoobjects.