Thin films of the Heusler alloy Co(2)Cr(0.6)Fe(0.4)A1 have been prepared by means of magnetron sputtering under varying conditions (sputter power, sputter pressure and substrate temperature). All the films are polycrystalline with the cubic 132 structure. The extent of Co-Al antisite defects, lattice constants, internal stress states are influenced by the sputter conditions which is related to differences in the saturation magnetization. The magnetic moment can be increased by additional annealing up to an optimum temperature of 400 degrees C, but does not reach the theoretically predicted value. Above 600 degrees C the metastable 132 phase transforms into either (epsilon)-Co/Cr or (alpha)-Co/Cr. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.