Mechanisms of stress generation and relaxation during pulsed laser deposition of epitaxial Fe-Pd magnetic shape memory alloy films on MgO

Mechanical stress generation during epitaxial growth of Fe-Pd thin films on MgO from pulsed laser deposition is a key parameter for the suitability in shape memory applications. By employing in situ substrate curvature measurements, we determine the stress states as a function of film thickness and composition. Depending on composition, different stress states are observed during initial film growth, which can be attributed to different misfits. Compressive stress generation by atomic peening is observed in the later stages of growth. Comparison with ex situ x-ray based strain measurements allows integral and local stress to be distinguished and yields heterogeneities of the stress state between coherent and incoherent regions. In combination with cross-sectional TEM measurements the relevant stress relaxation mechanism is identified to be stress-induced martensite formation with (111) twinning.