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The orientation relationship and interfaces of Ni3Sn4 and Ni3Sn2 with the Ni (001) and (111) surfaces have been studied with transmission electron microscopy. Ni was evaporated onto the NaCl (001) and (111) surfaces to form epitaxial Ni thin films and Sn was evaporated onto the Ni film and heat treated to form Ni3Sn4 and Ni3Sn2. No orientation relationship between Ni3Sn4 and Ni was found. Two types of orientation relationships between £b-Ni3Sn2 and Ni were found: (1) (0002) £b-Ni3Sn2//(220)Ni and (01 0) £b-Ni3Sn2//(2 0)Ni on the (2 0) £b-Ni3Sn2/(001)Ni interface¡Fand (2) (0002) £b-Ni3Sn2 //(2 0)Ni and (01 0) £b-Ni3Sn2//(22 )Ni on the (2 0) £b-Ni3Sn2/(001)Ni interface.

The BaTiO3 sample was made by dry pressure, it was artificial spread nickel paste on BaTiO3, and it was simulated multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC¡¦s) to make a sandwich structure with BaTiO3-Ni-BaTiO3 by sintered in YAGEO¡¦s laboratories. The samples have been thoroughly analysis for the interface between BaTiO3 dielectric and Ni electrode or NiO oxide, by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The interface between BaTiO3 and Ni has not orientation relationship as determined by selected area diffraction and it¡¦s not had dislocations in interface by two- beam image. The NiO oxide as determined by XRD and TEM, because of the thermodynamic potential of the Ni/NiO equilibrium was produced. The array of dislocations of Burgers vector is 1/2[ 10] in the interface, and Burgers vectors are 1/2[00 ], [ 1 ] as determined by high resolution images and Fast Fourier Transform simulation. Misfit dislocations along the interface occur to accommodate the lattice mismatch.

The microstructure of £b'-Cu6Sn5 during in the early stage of growth was studied. Sn was electroplated onto thin Cu foil at room temperature and the specimen was annealed at 150 ºC for 30 s. The Cu and Sn on the £b'-Cu6Sn5 surfaces were removed electrolytically and the specimens were analyzed with scanning and transmission electron microscopes. The £b'-Cu6Sn5 grains on the Cu side were as small as 5 nm but grew rapidly to 0.3 to 0.5 £gm on the Sn side. The orientation relationships between £b'-Cu6Sn5 and Cu were studied by a thin film technique. Cu was evaporated onto the NaCl (001) and (111) surfaces to form epitaxial Cu thin films and Sn was then evaporated onto the Cu films to form £b'-Cu6Sn5. Two types of orientation relationships were found, i.e., (1) [204]£b'//[001]Cu (zone axis), (40-2)£b'//(110)Cu, and (020)£b'//(1-10)Cu, and (2) [204]£b'//[111]Cu (zone axis), (40-2)£b'// Cu, and (020)£b'//(-1-12)Cu. The interfaces were analyzed. (Chapter 1) A very thin £b-Cu6Sn5 layer was formed by dipping thin Cu foil into molten Sn at 240 ºC for 1 second and quenching in ice water. The Sn and Cu on the £b-Cu6Sn5 surface were removed electrolytically to study the surface morphologies. The £b-Cu6Sn5 grains on the Sn side had a worm-type shape, about 0.3-0.5 £gm wide and up to 2 £gm long, but those on the Cu side were very small, about 5 nm in size. The nucleation and growth of the £b-Cu6Sn5 grains were discussed. The orientation relationships between £b-Cu6Sn5 and Cu were determined by transmission electron microscopy. The (11-20) plane of £b-Cu6Sn5 was found to be the interface with both the Cu (001) and (-111) surfaces, and a common orientation relationship of (0001)£b//(110)Cu was observed. The match of atoms between £b-Cu6Sn5 and Cu on the above interfaces were analyzed. (Chapter 2) A thin film technique was developed to study the orientation relationship and interface between £`-Cu3Sn and Cu by transmission electron microscopy. Epitaxial Cu thin films were grown on the NaCl (001) and (111) surfaces and Sn was evaporated to form £`-Cu3Sn directly without breaking the vacuum. The orientation relationship Z=[001]£`//[111]Cu, (100) £` //(-110)Cu, and (010)£` //(-1-12)Cu was found on the Cu (111) surface, but none on the Cu (001) surface. The interface was analyzed. (Chapter 3) The formation of the Fe-Al inhibition layer in hot-dip galvanizing is a confusing issue for a long time. This work presents a characterization result on the inhibition layer formed on a TiNb-stabilized interstitial-free steel after a short time galvanizing. The Fe-Al and steel interface was free from oxide, so that the Fe-Al intermetallic compound could directly nucleate on ferrite grains. TEM electron diffraction showed that only Fe2Al5 was formed and it had a well-defined orientation relationship of [110]FA// [111]Fe, (001)FA//(0-11)Fe and (1-10)FA//(2-1-1)Fe with Fe substrate where FA stands for Fe2Al5. The interfaces between Fe2Al5 and Fe are discussed. The Fe2Al5 grains nucleated epitaxially on Fe substrate had very small grain size, 20 nm or less, and several variants were intimately mixed. The grains grew rapidly to hundreds of nanometers toward the Zn side. (Chapter 4) The orientation relationships and interfaces of £_-AuSn with the Au (001), (110) and (111) surfaces were studied with transmission electron microscopy. Au was evaporated onto the NaCl (001), (011) and (111) surfaces to form epitaxial Au thin films and Sn was evaporated onto the Au film to form £_-AuSn. Two types of orientation relationships were found: (1) (11-20)£_//(001)Au, (0001)£_//(110)Au, and (1-100)£_//(-110)Au, which was found on the (11-20)£_/(001)Au and the(1-100)£_/(-110)Au interfaces; and (2) (11-20)£_//(-111)Au, (0001)£_//(110)Au, and (1-100)£_//(-11-2)Au, which was found on the (11-20)£_/(-111)Au interface. The interfaces were analyzed by the structures of the surfaces and the orientation relationships. The nucleation of £_-AuSn on these interfaces was also discussed. (Chapter 5)

The orientation relationship and interfaces of Au5Sn with the Au (001), (110) and (111) surfaces have been studied with transmission electron microscopy. Au was evaporated onto the NaCl (001), (110) and (111) surfaces to form epitaxial Au thin films and Sn was evaporated onto the Au film and heat treated to form Au5Sn. Two types of orientation relationships were found: (1) (2-1-10)Au5Sn/(001)Au¡A(0006)Au5Sn //(-220)Au and (03-30)Au5Sn//(220)Au, which was found on the (2-1-10)Au5Sn/(001)Au interface; and (2) (2-1-10)Au5Sn/(-111)Au¡A(0006)Au5Sn //(-22-4)Au and (03-30)Au5Sn//(220)Au, which was found on the (2-1-10)Au5Sn/(-111)Au interface.The structures of the interfaces were analyzed. The free energy formation of AuSn is much larger than that of Au5Sn.Analysis of above results show that the differences of the interfacial energies between AuSn/Au and Au5Sn/Au may not be a significant. Therefore probably has a lower activation energy of AuSn nucleation and in the first plane to form at the AuSn interface.

A specialty class of alloys known as tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs) possess extremely desirable qualities for adoption in nuclear fusion reactors. Their high temperature stability, improvement in fracture toughness over other brittle candidates, and promising performance in initial experimental trials have demonstrated their utility, and recent advancements have been made in understanding and applying these multiphase materials systems. To that end, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in collaboration with Virginia Tech have sought to understand and tailor the structure and properties of these materials to optimize them for service in fusion reactor interiors; thereby improving the robustness, efficiency, and longevity of structural materials selected for service in an extremely hostile environment. In this analysis of material viability, a multiscale investigation of the connections between structure-property relationships in these multiphase composite microstructures has been undertaken, employing advanced characterization techniques to bridge the macro, micro, and nanoscales for the purpose of generating a framework for the understanding of the ductile phase toughening effect in these systems. This analysis has yielded evidence suggesting the effectiveness of WHA microstructures in the simultaneous expression of high strength and toughness owes to the intimately bonded nature of the boundary which exists between the dissimilar phases in these bi-phase microstructures. Analytical techniques have been employed to provide added dimensionality to traditional materials characterization techniques, providing the first three-dimensional microstructure reconstructions exhibiting the effects of thermomechanical processing on these dual-phase microstructures, and the first time-resolved approach to the observation of WHA deformation through in-situ uniaxial tension testing. The contributions of purposefully introduced microstructural anisotropy and its contribution to texturing and boundary conformations is discussed, and an emphasis has been placed on the study of the interface between the dissimilar phases and its role in the overall expression of ductile phase toughening. In short, this collective work utilizes multiscale and multidimensional characterization techniques in the in-depth analysis and discussion of WHA systems to connect their structure to the properties which make them excellent candidates for fusion reactor systems. / Doctor of Philosophy / In the ongoing effort to realize nuclear fusion for commercial energy generation, there are numerous hurdles which must be overcome. A primary issue in the creation of these reactors is the implementation of materials which interface with the superheated plasma in the reactor interior, called plasma facing materials and components (PFMCs). These PFMCs must be able to withstand environmental conditions which will melt, irradiate, embrittle, and fracture a majority of common structural materials. Therefore these materials must exhibit unparalleled robustness in the form of high thermal and irradiation resistance. One class of alloys which is currently being considered for this purpose is tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs). These materials have exhibited excellent viability in early-stage experimental trials, and have necessarily become the subject of extended examination as PFMC candidates. In a joint collaboration between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Virginia Tech, these materials have been subjected to rigorous experimental testing and analysis to determine what underlying physics are responsible for their excellent properties. Advanced analytical techniques have been applied to observe the connections which exist between the atomic structure of boundaries and have been connected to the expression of observable properties on the macroscale. This work has provided the first available data on the full three-dimensional approach to the study of WHAs as well as the first dynamic observation of how the materials deform, leading to the conclusion that the two-phase composite-like structure of these alloys owe their combination of strength and ductility to the strong bond which exists between the two phases. This information on how material structure influences properties can be used to improve alloy design and produce even more effective WHA materials going forward.

<p>There is a growing need to understand the deformation mechanisms in titanium alloys due to their widespread use in the aerospace industry (especially within gas turbine engines), variation in their properties and performance based on their microstructure, and their tendency to undergo premature failure due to dwell and high cycle fatigue well below their yield strength. Crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modeling is a popular computational tool used to understand deformation in these polycrystalline alloys. With the advancement in experimental techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction, digital image correlation (DIC) and high-energy x-ray diffraction, more insights into the microstructure of the material and its deformation process can be attained. This research leverages data from a number of experimental techniques to develop well-informed and calibrated CPFE models for titanium alloys at multiple length-scales and use them to further understand the deformation in these alloys.</p> <p>The first part of the research utilizes experimental data from high-energy x-ray diffraction microscopy to initialize grain-level residual stresses and capture the correct grain morphology within CPFE simulations. Further, another method to incorporate the effect of grain-level residual stresses via geometrically necessary dislocations obtained from 2D material characterization is developed and implemented within the CPFE framework. Using this approach, grain level information about residual stresses obtained spatially over the region of interest, directly from the EBSD and high-energy x-ray diffraction microscopy, is utilized as an input to the model.</p> <p>The second part of this research involves calibrating the CPFE model based upon a systematic and detailed optimization routine utilizing experimental data in the form of macroscopic stress-strain curves coupled with lattice strains on different crystallographic planes for the α and β phases, obtained from high energy X-ray diffraction experiments for multiple material pedigrees with varying β volume fractions. This fully calibrated CPFE model is then used to gain a comprehensive understanding of deformation behavior of Ti-6Al-4V, specifically the effect of the relative orientation of the α and β phases within the microstructure.</p> <p>In the final part of this work, large and highly textured regions, referred to as macrozones or microtextured regions (MTRs), with sizes up to several orders of magnitude larger than that of the individual grains, found in dual phase Titanium alloys are modeled using a reduced order simulation strategy. This is done to overcome the computational challenges associated with modeling macrozones. The reduced order model is then used to investigate the strain localization within the microstructure and the effect of varying the misorientation tolerance on the localization of plastic strain within the macrozones.</p>

Les alliages NiMnSb, matériaux multifonctionnels nouveaux, ont attiré une attention en raison de leurs multiples propriétés, telles que l'effet de mémoire de forme, magnétocalorique, de biais d'échange, de magnétorésistance. Jusqu'à présent, de nombreux aspects des NiMnSb, tels que structure cristalline, microstructure, propriétés magnétiques et mécaniques ont été étudiés. Cependant, de nombreuses questions fondamentales de ces matériaux n'ont pas été entièrement révélées, ce qui limite leur développement. Une étude a été menée sur les alliages ternaires NiMnSb en termes de structures cristallines de l'austénite et de la martensite; Caractéristiques microstructurales et cristallographiques de la martensite; La relation d'orientation (OR) de transformation martensitique et sa corrélation avec l'organisation des variantes; Les caractéristiques de déformation de la transformation et l'autoaccommodation de la déformation de transformation. Le travail a confirmé que l'austénite possède une structure cristalline L21 cubique, groupe spatial Fm3m (No. 225). La martensite a une structure orthorhombique modulée (4O) à quatre couches, groupe spatial Pmma (No. 051). Les constantes de réseau de martensite de Ni50Mn37Sb13 et Ni50Mn38Sb12 sont aM = 8.5830 Å, bM = 5.6533 Å et cM = 4.3501 Å, et aM = 8.5788 Å, bM = 5.6443 Å et cM = 4.3479 Å. La microstructure de la martensite 4O NiMnSb modulée possède une caractéristique d'organisation hiérarchique. Les lamelles fines de martensite sont d'abord organisées en larges plaques. Chaque plaque possède 4 variantes apparentées aux jumeaux A, B, C et D formant des jumeaux de type I (A et C, B et D), de type II (A et B, C et D) et des macles composées (A et D; B et C). Les interfaces des variantes sont définies par les plans de maclage correspondants. Les éléments de maclage sont entièrement déterminés pour chaque relation de maclage. Les plaques sont ensuite organisées en sous-colonies et les sous-colonies en colonies de plaques. Les plaques voisines d'une sous-colonie et d'une colonie de plaques partagent une interface de plaque commune. Des colonies de plaques avec différentes interfaces de plaques ayant différentes orientations occupent finalement l'ensemble du grain d'austénite original. La OR de Pitsch, spécifiée comme {011}A // {221}M et <011>A // <122>M, est l'OR effective entre l'austénite cubique et la martensite 4O modulée. Sous cette OR, un maximum de 24 variantes distinctes peut être produit. Les 24 variantes sont organisées en 6 colonies de variantes distinctes, 12 sous-colonies distinctes et enfin 6 colonies de plaques distinctes. Le plan de maclage de type I et les interfaces intra-plaques correspondent tous à la même famille de plans {011}A de austénite. La formation des colonies de variantes martensitiques peut être à la fois intragranulaire et intergranulaire pendant la transformation de phase La colonie de variantes structurée en sandwich est l'unité micro-structurale de base de la martensite. Cette structure est composée de variantes de relation macles et possède des interfaces de variantes internes totalement compatibles et les plans d'habitat invariants. Les caractéristiques de déformation des variants en relation de macles conduisent à la fraction de volume élevée de macles de type II et affecte la morphologie des colonies en sandwich. La structure en forme de coin est composée de deux sandwichs compatibles et reliés par un plan de nervure médiane avec une petite incompatibilité atomique. Tous ces résultats indiquent que la transformation martensitique est autoaccommodée et la microstructure est déterminée par l'auto-accommodation des constituants microstructuraux. Ce travail vise à fournir des informations cristallographiques et micro-structurales fondamentales des alliages NiMnSb pour l'interprétation de leurs caractéristiques magnétiques et mécaniques associées à la transformation martensitique et des recherches complémentaires sur l'optimisation des propriétés / NiMnSb based Heusler type alloys, as a novel multi-functional material has attracted considerable attention due to their multiple properties, such as magnetic shape memory effect, magnetocaloric effect, exchange bias effect, magnetoresistance effect. To date, many aspects of the NiMnSb alloys, such as crystal structure, microstructure, magnetic properties and mechanical properties etc., have been widely investigated. However, many fundamental issues of this family of materials have not been fully revealed, which largely restricts the development of this new kind of multi-functional materials. In the present work, a thorough investigation has been conducted on ternary NiMnSb alloys in terms of crystal structures of austenite and martensite; microstructural and crystallographic features of martensite; martensitic transformation orientation relationship (OR) and its correlation with variant organization; transformation deformation characteristics and self-accommodation of transformation strain. The work confirmed that the austenite of NiMnSb alloys possesses a cubic L21 crystal structure belonging to the space group Fm3m (No. 225). The martensite has a four-layered orthorhombic (4O) structure with space group Pmma (No. 051). The lattice constants of the Ni50Mn37Sb13 and Ni50Mn38Sb12 martensite are aM = 8.5830 Å, bM = 5.6533 Å and cM = 4.3501Å, and aM = 8.5788 Å, bM = 5.6443 Å and cM = 4.3479 Å, respectively. The microstructure of the 4O NiMnSb modulated martensite possesses a hierarchical organization feature. Martensite fine lamellae are first organized into broad plates. Each plate possesses 4 distinct twin related variants A, B, C and D forming type I twins (A and C; B and D), type II twins (A and B; C and D) and compound twins (A and D; B and C). The variant interfaces are defined by the corresponding twinning planes. The complete twinning elements for each twin relation are fully determined. The plates are further organized into sub-colonies and sub-colonies into plate colonies. The neighboring plates in one sub-colony and plate colony share one common plate interface orientation. Plate colonies with different oriented plate interfaces finally take the whole original austenite grain. The Pitsch OR, specified as {011}A // {221}M and <011>A // <122>M, is the effective OR between the cubic austenite and the 4O modulated martensite. Under this OR, a maximum of 24 distinct variants can be produced. The 24 variants are organized into 6 distinct variant colonies, 12 distinct sub-colonies and finally 6 distinct plate colonies. The twinning plane of type I twin and the intra-plate plate interfaces all correspond to the same family of {011}A planes of austenite. The formation of martensite variant colonies can be both form intragranular and intergranular during the phase transformation. The sandwich structured variant colony is the basic microstructural unit of the martensite. This structure is composed of twin related variants and possesses the full compatible inner variants interfaces and invariant habit planes. The deformation manner of the twin related variants result in the high occurrence frequency of the type II twins and affects the morphology of the sandwich colonies. The wedge-shaped structure is composed of two compatible sandwiches and conjoined by a midrib plane with a small atomic misfit. All these results indicate that the martensitic transformation is self-accommodated and the microstructure is determined by the self-accommodation of the microstructural constituents. The aim of this work is to provide fundamental crystallographic and microstructural information of NiMnSb alloys for interpreting their magnetic and mechanical characteristics associated with the martensitic transformation and further investigations on property optimization

En tant que nouveau matériau magnétique à mémoire de forme, les alliages basés sur le système Ni-Mn-Sn possèdent de multiples propriétés physiques telles que l'effet de mémoire de forme des alliages polycristallins, l'effet magnétocalorique géant, l'effet de magnétorésistance et l'effet de polarisation d'échange. Jusqu'à présent, la plupart des études ont été axées sur l'amélioration des multifonctionnalités de ces alliages, mais l'information fondamentale qui est fortement associée à ces propriétés n'est toujours pas claire. Ainsi, une étude approfondie sur les structures cristallines de la martensite et de l'austénite, les caractéristiques microstructurales et cristallographiques de la transformation martensitique a été menée dans le cadre du présent travail de doctorat. Il a été confirmé que l'austénite de Ni50Mn37.5Sn12.5 possède une structure cubique L21 (Fm3 ̅m, No.225). Le paramètre de réseau de l'austénite dans Ni50Mn37.5Sn12.5 est aA = 5.9813 Å. La martensite possède une structure orthorhombique (4O) à quatre couches (Pmma, No.51). Les paramètres de réseau de la martensite dans Ni50Mn38Sn12 et Ni50Mn37.5Sn12.5 sont a4O = 8.6068 Å; b4O = 5.6226 Å and c4O = 4.3728 Å, and a4O = 8.6063 Å, b4O = 5.6425 Å, and c4O = 4.3672Å, respectivement. La martensite 4O Ni-Mn-Sn présente une microstructure hiérarchiquement maclée. La martensite est organisée en larges plaques dans le grain d'austénite d'origine. Les plaques contiennent des colonies à forme irrégulière avec deux modèles caractéristiques de microstructures : le motif lamellaire classique et le motif en arête de poisson. Dans chaque colonie, il existe quatre variantes d'orientation (A, B, C et D) et elles forment trois types de macles (Type I, Type II et macles composées). Les interfaces entre les variantes correspondantes sont en coincidence avec leur plan de maclage K1. Les plans d'interface des paires de macles composées A-D et B-C peuvent avoir une ou deux orientations différentes, ce qui conduit aux deux modèles microstructuraux. Les variantes correspondantes dans les colonies voisines dans une même large plaque (colonies intra-plaques) possèdent des orientations proches et le joint de colonie est courbé, tandis que la limite de colonie inter-plaques est relativement droite. La relation d’orientation de Pitsch (Orientation Relation OR), spécifiée comme {1 0 1} A//{22 ̅1}4O and <1 0 1 ̅> A//<1 ̅2 2>4O, a été exclusivement déterminée à être une OR effective entre l'austénite cubique et la martensite modulée 4O. Sous cette OR, 24 variantes peuvent être générées dans un grain d'austénite. Ces 24 variantes sont organisées en 6 groupes et chaque groupe correspond à une colonie de martensite. La structure de martensite finement maclée (microstructure sandwich) est le composant microstructural de base produit par la transformation martensitique. Une telle structure assure une interface de phase invariante (plan d'habitat) pour la transformation. Au cours de la transformation, les variantes de la martensite sont organisées en clusters en forme de diamant composés de colonies de variantes et avec des structures en forme de coin au front de transformation. Chaque coin est composé de deux structures sandwich séparées par un plan de nervure médiane {1 0 1}A. Les paires de variantes dans chaque coin devraient avoir le même type de macles avec une relation de Type I ou de Type II pour garantir de bonnes compatibilités géométriques des variantes à l'interface de phase et au plan de la nervure centrale. Dans les diamants, les colonies sont séparées par des frontières présentant des marches à faible énergie interfaciale qui évoluent vers les joints des colonies intra-plaques et par des joints droits qui deviennent les joints entre les plaques. Les diamants s'allongent le long de la direction presque parallèle aux plans de la nervure centrale des coins et la forme de la plaque de la martensite est finalement formée. [...] / Being a novel magnetic shape memory material, Ni-Mn-Sn based alloy systems possess multiple physical properties, such as shape memory effect of polycrystalline alloys, giant magnetocaloric effect, large magnetoresistance effect and exchange bias effect. So far, most studies have been focused on the improvement of the multifunctionalities of these alloys, but the fundamental information which is highly associated with these properties is still unclear. Thus, a thorough study on the crystal structures of martensite and austenite, microstructural and crystallographic features of martensitic transformation has been conducted in the present PhD work. The austenite of Ni50Mn37.5Sn12.5 was confirmed to possess a L21 cubic structure (Fm"3" ̅m, No.225). The lattice parameter of austenite in Ni50Mn37.5Sn12.5 is aA=5.9813 Å. The martensite possesses a four-layered orthorhombic (4O) structure (Pmma, No.51). The lattice parameters of martensite in Ni50Mn38Sn12 and Ni50Mn37.5Sn12.5 are a4O = 8.6068 Å; b4O = 5.6226 Å and c4O = 4.3728 Å, and a4O = 8.6063 Å, b4O = 5.6425 Å, and c4O = 4.3672Å, respectively. The 4O Ni-Mn-Sn martensite exhibits a hierarchically twinned microstructure. The martensite is organized into broad plates in the original austenite grain. The plates contain irregularly shaped colonies with two characteristic microstructural patterns: classical lamellar pattern and herring-bone pattern. In each colony, there are four orientation variants (A, B, C and D) and they form three types of twins (Type I, Type II and compound twin). The interfaces between the corresponding variants are in coincidence with their twinning plane K1. The interface planes of the compound twin pairs A-D and B-C can have one or two different orientations, which leads to the two microstructural patterns. The corresponding variants in the neighboring colonies within one broad plate (intra plate colonies) possess close orientations and colony boundary is curved, whereas the inter plate colony boundary is relatively straight. The Pitsch OR, specified as "{1 0 1}" A//"{2 " "2" ̅" " "1" ̅"}" 4O and "<1 0 " "1" ̅">" A//"<" "1" ̅" " "2" ̅" 2>" 4O, was uniquely determined to be an effective OR between the cubic austenite and 4O modulated martensite. Under this OR, 24 variants can be generated within one austenite grain. Such 24 variants are organized into 6 groups and each group corresponds to a martensite colony. The finely twinned martensite structure (sandwich microstructure) is the basic microstructural constitute produced by martensitic transformation. Such a structure ensures an invariant phase interface (habit plane) for the transformation. During the transformation, martensite variants are organized into diamond shaped clusters composed of variant colonies and with wedge shaped structures at the transformation front. Each wedge is composed of two sandwich structures separating by a midrib plane {1 0 1}A. The variant pairs in each wedge should have the same twin type with either Type I or Type II relation to ensure good geometrical compatibilities of the variants at phase interface and at the midrib plane. Within the diamonds, colonies are separated by step-like boundaries with low interfacial energy that evolve into the intra plate colony boundaries and by straight boundaries that become the inter plate colony boundaries. The diamonds elongates along the direction nearly paralleled to the midrib planes of the wedges and plate shape of martensite is finally formed. Such features of the diamond structure in Ni-Mn-Sn alloys are realized by self-accommodation of transformation strains for energy minimization. The present work provides comprehensive microstructural and crystallographic information on martensite and on martensitic transforamtion of Ni-Mn-Sn alloys and it is useful for understanding their multi functionalities associated with martensitic transformation and helpful on property optimization