Evaluation of annealing effects on the deformation of Ti/Au multi-layered micro-cantilevers

This paper reports the effects of annealing on the deformation behavior of Ti/Au multi-layered micro-cantilevers. A total of 72 Ti/Au multi-layered micro-cantilevers with different geometric parameters are fabricated. The annealing temperature up to 200 °C hardly causes their deformation, while the annealing performed at temperatures higher than 200 °C induces the deformation of the micro-cantilevers with thinner beam thickness. Auger electron spectroscopy measurements for the electrodeposited-Au components subjected to annealing at different temperatures suggest that the observed deformation is partially due to the diffusion of titanium and oxygen atoms induced by the annealing. • A total of 72 Ti/Au multi-layered micro-cantilevers are fabricated. • Their deformation behavior toward the heat treatment is evaluated. • The heat treatment performed at up to 200 °C scarcely deforms them. • Atom diffusion caused by the heat treatment is evaluated by AES measurements.