Molecular Design and Synthesis of New Noncrystalline Solids
Abstract
The general objective is to prepare and characterize novel noncrystalline thin film materials over a broad range of material's classes in order to gain a better understanding of noncrystalline solid formation behavior and to provide a scientific basis for future studies. We have prepared noncrystalline thin films covering a wide range of materials: insulators (nickel, iron and tungsten oxides; various polymers), metals (Mg-Zn alloys), and semiconductors (a number of metal-borides; cermet films like alumina-metal and polymer metal; CdTe; Si; Ge). In addition to this exploratory preparation work, we have investigated in detail the structure and bonding in a number of these materials. For understanding the short range order bonding characteristics we have used both Mossbauer and magnetic studies and Raman spectroscopy. Also using conventional TEM, high resolution STEM, and atom probe field ion microscopy we have studied the structure of noncrystalline films at the atomic level. Such nanostructural studies along with microstructural studies, primarily using scanning electron microscopy, are now allowing us to develop a general structural model for vapor-deposited noncrystalline thin film materials, which is distinctly different from the structure of conventional glasses (liquid-to- solid transformation). Due to the high energy quenching rate of vapor-to-solid transformation processes, such as rf-sputtering used extensively in this study, noncrystalline thin films can be prepared over a much wider composition range than conventional glasses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA103558
Entities
People
- Russell Messier
- Rustum Roy
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University