| Abstract Scope |
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) holds enormous potential to design interfaces, due to the unique way in which a material is built in an atomic layer-by-layer fashion. We combine ALD with magnetron sputtering without breaking vacuum, to design (sub)nanoscale model interface architectures. Firstly, asymmetric crystalline/amorphous metal/oxide nanolaminates are presented, where Al2O3 layers in the sub-nanometer to few-nanometer thickness regime confine the grain growth of metallic Al films, creating sub-layer architectures with unique properties. Connecting microstructural evolution, interfacial properties, and thermal stability via TEM and APT identifies the interplay between interface chemistry, grain growth suppression, and impurity transport. Secondly, ALD is applied as interlayer to metal-polymer interfaces, artificially mimicking strong and stable native interface structures. Tensile testing with in-situ X-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity measurements and adhesion energy calculations as a function of ALD interlayer thickness clarify the role of these structures in thin film deformation and delamination. |