Compositionally varied materials and method for synthesizing the materials

Abstract

Abstract Designed tailormade nonequilibrium synthetic disordered materials are provided containing nonperiodically distributed local environments whose position and type are controlled to obtain specific properties which can be coupled or decoupled one from another and collectively from the constraints implied by an ordered structure. Atoms or groups of atoms can be placed in the matrix in specific designed positions to compensate the spins to obtain unusual physical and chemical properties. The compositional variation which produces the required nonequilibrium "multi-disordered" materials is accomplished by selectively depositing desired atoms and groups of atoms into designed locations to permit the construction of a true three-dimensionally engineered material. Where order is an engineering need, it can be designed in a local scale or interspersed in varying amounts including layers through the material to create new material functions. The materials encompass materials which can include non-epitaxial crystalline layers A and B, homogeneous in the x and y directions, but which are randomly or nonperiodically but specifically spaced in the z direction. Further, the materials include any combination of layers in a non-epitaxial, non-superlattice structure, such as polycrystalline or amorphous layers interleaved with crystalline or noncrystalline layers. Further, included are non-epitaxially grown material structures containing columns or groups of atoms which can be arranged periodically and isotropically. Many deposition techniques can be utilized singularly or in combination with a variety of activation techniques to construct the materials, which include sputtering, electrochemical, laser, ion beam, thermal evaporation, chemical vapor deposition or glow discharge (plasma) techniques. Other excitation processes also can be combined with the above techniques.

Inventors

• 👤 Stanford R. Ovshinsky

Bibliographic Details