Dresden 2003 – scientific programme

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SYOC: Optical coating in information technology, light management and other areas

SYOC 2: Optical coating in information technology, light management and other areas II

SYOC 2.3: Invited Talk

Tuesday, March 25, 2003, 12:20–13:00, HSZ/01

Sculptured Thin Films: Engineered Nanostructural Materials — •Russell Messier — Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

Sculptured thin films (STFs) are a new class of engineered nanostructural materials with unidirectionally varying properties that can be designed and realized in a controllable manner. The ability to instantaneously change and control the growth direction of their columnar morphology, through simple variations in the direction of the incident vapor flux, leads to a wide spectrum of columnar forms. These forms can include 2-D nanostructures ranging from the simple slanted columns and chevrons to the more complex S- and C-shaped morphologies, as well as 3-D nanostructures that include simple helices and superhelices. The science and technology of STFs are relatively unexplored on a systematic basis, despite the fact that these films have been made for over a century. Only over the last five years have STFs been prepared in a conscious manner. In this article, we describe their preparation, characterization, properties, and applications in light of the limitations of their origin and evolution. What is emerging is that practical limitations are not too restrictive and that STF technology has a wide range of potential applications.