Effects of film thickness and composition on the structure and martensitic transition of epitaxial off-stoichiometric Ni–Mn–Ga magnetic shape memory films

Epitaxial Ni–Mn–Ga magnetic shape memory films with varied thickness and variable stoichiometry were prepared by magnetron sputtering on MgO(001) substrates and investigated by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrate that the structure of the films is either a non-modulated martensite or a seven-layer-modulated martensite. At small film thicknesses, we observe a preferential alignment of the {110} twin planes titled 45° from the substrate surface, which gives rise to the surface corrugation, whereas at large thicknesses, twin planes align additionally along the perpendicular planes. The biaxial tensile stress due to the film–substrate lattice mismatch is shown to have an important role in the selection of the possible twinning planes. An exponential relation between the stress and the film thickness is identified. In contrast, the magnetic properties of the films are found to be independent of the stress. A resistance maximum is measured close to the Curie temperature, which can be attributed to the relaxation of the lattice distortion induced by magnetoelastic coupling.