Compositionally varied materials and method for synthesizing the materials

• US 4,520,039 A
• Filed: 09/23/1982
• Issued: 05/28/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices
• Original Assignee: Sovonics Solar Systems
• Inventors: Ovshinsky, Stanford R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/422,155
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 427/35, 427/38, 427/255.7
• US Class Current: 427/457
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C14/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/04 Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/00 Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/002 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/04 Pattern deposit, e.g. by using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/52 Alloys

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.

Claims

1. A method of designing a compositionally varied material comprising:

forming a matrix from at least a first type of atom having at least one physical property, designing a spatial pattern in said matrix, incuding at least a second type of atom or atoms or groups of said second type of atom or atoms at predetermined locations in said spatial pattern to form the material, forming nonequilibrium disordered local environments with at least some of said second type of atom or atoms or groups thereof and coupling or decoupling at least a second physical property of said second type of atom or atoms and said locations with said matrix physical property to produce one or more functions of said material.

2. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said second type of atom or groups of atoms in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

3. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said second type of atom or group of atoms in said matrix in periodic locations.

4. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spacial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

5. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in periodic locations.

6. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said second type of atom or groups of atoms in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

7. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said second type of atom or group of atoms in said matrix in periodic locations.

8. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

9. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in periodic locations.

10. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix from at least a third type of atom and said first type of atom in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale.

11. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix and said second type of atom or group of atoms in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale.

12. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix from at least a third type of atom and said first type of atom in a periodic atomic scale and in a disordered macroscopic scale.

13. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said matrix and said second type of atom or group of atoms in a periodic atomic scale and in a disordered macroscopic scale.

14. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said second type of atom or group of atoms in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale throughout said matrix.

15. The method of claim 1 including:

placing the locations of said second type of atom or group of atoms within tunneling distance of one another.

16. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said second type of atom or group of atoms in different configurations in different locations throughout at least a portion of said matrix.

17. The method of claim 1 including:

freezing excited species of said second type of atom or group of atoms into at least some locations.

18. The method of claim 1 including:

directionally orienting local environments of said second type of atoms or groups of atoms in at least some locations different than in other locations.

19. The method of claim 1 including:

freezing free radicals of said second type of atom or groups of atoms into at least some locations.

20. The method of claim 1 further including:

forming at least a third type of atom or groups of atoms in said material.

21. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said material homogeneous in two dimensions and nonhomogeneous in the third dimension.

22. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said material homogeneous in one dimension and nonhomogeneous in two dimensions.

23. The method of claim 1 including:

forming said material non-homogeneous in all three dimensions.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein:

coupling or decoupling said properties include one or more electrical, optical, mechanical, magnetic or thermal functions.

25. A method of designing a compositionally varied material comprising:

forming a matrix from at least a first type of atom having at least one physical property and a second type of atom having at least a second physical property, said matrix including a plurality of layers of at least said first and second types of atom, designing a spatial pattern in said matrix, including at least a third type of atom or atoms or groups of said third type of atom or atoms at predetermined locations in said spatial pattern to form the material, said locations being at least in some of said plurality of layers or between succeeding ones of some of said plurality of layers, forming nonequilibrium disordered local environments with at least some of said third type of atom or atoms or groups thereof and coupling or decoupling at least a third physical property of said third type of atom or atoms and said locations with said matrix physical property to produce one or more functions of said material.

26. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said third type of atom or groups of atoms in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

27. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said third type of atom or group of atoms in said matrix in periodic locations.

28. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spacial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

29. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in periodic locations.

30. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said third type of atom or groups of atoms in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

31. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said third type of atom or group of atoms in said matrix in periodic locations.

32. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in nonperiodic locations.

33. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a nonperiodic repeating spatial pattern and placing said disordered local environments in said matrix in periodic locations.

34. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale.

35. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix and said third type of atom or group of atoms in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale.

36. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix in a periodic atomic scale and in a disordered macroscopic scale.

37. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said matrix and said third type of atom or group of atoms in a periodic atomic scale and in a disordered macroscopic scale.

38. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said third type of atom or group of atoms in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale throughout said matrix.

39. The method of claim 25 including:

placing the locations of said third type of atom or group of atoms within tunneling distance of one another.

40. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said third type of atom or group of atoms in different configurations in different locations throughout at least a portion of said matrix.

41. The method of claim 25 including:

freezing excited species of said third type of atom or group of atoms into at least some locations.

42. The method of claim 25 including:

directionally orienting local environments of said third type of atoms or groups of atoms in at least some locations different than in other locations.

43. The method of claim 25 including:

freezing free radicals of said third type of atom or groups of atoms into at least some locations.

44. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said material homogeneous in two dimensions and nonhomogeneous in the third dimension.

45. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said material homogeneous in one dimension and nonhomogeneous in two dimensions.

46. The method of claim 25 including:

forming said material non-homogeneous in all three dimensions.

47. The method of claim 25 wherein:

coupling or decoupling said properties include one or more electrical, optical, mechanical, magnetic or thermal functions.

48. A method of designing a compositionally varied material comprising:

forming a matrix from at least a first type of atom having at least one physical property, said matrix including a plurality of layers of at least said first type of atom, designing a spatial pattern in said matrix, including at least a second and a third type of atom interleaved in a plurality of layers of at least said second type of atom and a plurality of layers of at least said third type of atom at predetermined locations in said spatial pattern to form the material, forming nonequilibrium disordered local environments with at least some of said second or third type of atoms and coupling or decoupling at least a second physical property of said second type of atom or at least a third physical property of said third type of atom and said locations with said matrix physical property to produce one or more functions of said material.

49. The method of claim 48 including:

forming said different atomic layers in a non-periodic spacing pattern.

50. The method of claim 48 including:

forming said matrix with at least three different compositional type layers and repeating said layers in a predetermined order.

51. The method of claim 48 including:

forming at least some non-epitaxial crystalline layers.

52. The method of claim 48 including:

forming at least a first set of polycrystalline layers interleaved with a least a second set of crystalline layers.

53. The method of claim 48 including:

forming at least a first set of polycrystalline layers interleaved with at least a second set of polycrystalline layers.

54. The method of claim 48 including:

forming at least a first set of polycrystalline layers interleaved with at least a second set of amorphous layers.

55. The method of claim 48 including:

forming at least a first set of crystalline layers interleaved with at least a second set of amorphous layers.

56. The method of claim 48 including:

forming at least a first set of amorphous layers interleaved with at least a second set of amorphous layers.

57. The method of claim 48 including:

spacing said layers to form a electronically homogeneous material with at least one other physical property being coupled or decoupled from said electronic property.

58. The method of claim 48 including:

forming said layers in a disordered atomic scale and in a periodic macroscopic scale.

59. The method of claim 48 including:

forming said layers in a periodic atomic scale and a disordered macroscopic scale.

60. The method of claim 48 including:

forming said layers of said third type of atom with at least a fourth type of atom or group of atoms designed into at least some of the layers.