Orientation-dependent plastic deformation mechanisms and competition with stress-induced phase transformation in microscale NiTi

Understanding the orientation-dependent deformation behavior of NiTi shape-memory alloys at small length scales is of importance for designing nano- and micro-electromechanical systems. However, a complete understanding of the orientation- and size-dependent competition between the various modes of slip, deformation twinning, and martensitic transformation in NiTi shape-memory alloys is still lacking, especially in micron-scale specimens. In the...