Transformation volume strain in Ni-Mn-Ga thin films

The temperature dependences of the lattice parameters and residual stress have been measured for a fine-grained Ni52.2Mn26.8Ga 21.0 (at. %) thin film fabricated by sputter deposition onto a heated silicon wafer with SiNx buffer layer. The transformation volume strain in the film was found to be a lattice expansion during the forward martensitic transformation which is opposite to a volume contraction exhibited by bulk Ni-Mn-Ga alloys. This unusual effect can be explained by the substrate-induced residual stresses in the film and the difference in the elastic modulus of austenite and martensite.