PVD deposited ternary and quaternary NiTi alloys and methods of making same

A method of making a nickel-titanium ternary or quaternary shape memory alloy, comprising the steps of:

• a. Selecting a target metal made of at least three metals selected from the group consisting of nickel and titanium and at least one of hafnium, tungsten, rhenium, iridium, platinum, gold, silver, cobalt, vanadium, iron, bismuth, palladium, and combinations or alloys thereof, wherein the stoichiometry of the target comprises between about 55.28 wt % to about 55.54 wt % nickel and between about 43.42 wt. % to about 43.81 wt. % titanium;
• b. Physical vapor depositing the selected target metal in a vacuum chamber from the target onto a removable substrate and forming a crystalline coherent bulk material ternary or quaternary alloy on the removable substrate;
• c. Removing the removable substrate and crystalline coherent bulk material ternary or quaternary alloy thereupon from the vacuum chamber;
• and
• d. Removing the removable substrate from the crystalline coherent bulk material ternary or quaternary alloy.