Micro-forming of thin film metallic glass by local laser heating

This paper reports a new method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructure such as a bent micro beam made of a thin film metallic glass (TFMG). Metallic glasses are kinds of amorphous alloys and have suitable characteristics for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) because they are isotropic and homogeneous as well as free from defects originated from the crystal structure. Moreover the metallic glasses soften in a certain temperature range called the super cooled liquid region (SCLR), which makes the metallic glasses easily be formed into three-dimensional shapes. In this paper, firstly, TFMG micro beams are fabricated using MEMS process. Secondly, a local laser heating and micro-forming system is introduced to heat and form a beam into a three-dimensional structure. Finally, as an example of a three-dimensional structure, a TFMG micro beam bent 90degrees is realized.