Final Report Summary - MULTIMATE (A Research Platform Addressing Outstanding Research Challenges for Nanoscale Design and Engineering of Multifunctional Material)
Nanoscale engineering engineering is a fascinating research field spawning extraordinary materials with extreme properties. The team within MULTIMATE have conducted fundamental science investigations focused towards the development of novel materials with tailor-made properties, achieved by precise control of the materials structure and composition, in turn offering unprecedented materials properties for use in future applications.
The initiative involves advanced materials design by un-conventional synthesis methods, including hardware development (patented) and sputtering from liquid target material, as well as a new and unique synthesis method based on pulsed cathodic arc. The latter method allows exploration of innovative and novel combinations of a wide range of atomic elements and structures, and have been used for novel synthesis of graphene-like and fullerene-like materials, being of an extremely resilient character. We have been able to reduce previously observed formation temperatures drastically, and have been able to closely match the best results obtained for these materials by room temperature depositions. Superior tribological properties have been realized, including very good adhesion on industrially relevant substrates, a material hardness of up to 49 GPa, and an elastic recovery of 95 %. Additional explorative studies on graphene-like materials range from fundamentals of graphene, to discovery of new 2D materials (carbides) from selective etching of a 3D counterpart.
We set out to tailor uniquely combined metallic/ceramic/magnetic materials properties in new nanolaminates, specifically so called MAX phases, by designed atomic element substitution. MAX phases are carbides or nitrides based on typically three atomic elements, which are stacked in individual atomic layers, forming an inherent nanolaminated structure. Based on our previous theoretical prediction of tunability of conduction upon O incorporation in Ti2AlC, we have synthesized Ti2AlC1-xOx using two routes involving pulsed cathodic arc. Local compositional analysis shows a range of O concentrations with x ≤ 0.52 which according to theory may allow a conductivity going from insulating to n- and p-type. The project has been directed towards optimization of structural and compositional material quality, though detailed investigations of paths for process optimization and control of growth mechanisms. The resulting achieved material quality is far beyond any previous reports on MAX phase materials, and will be vital for the community and the applicability, providing unsurpassed prospects for design of specific properties. The identified paths and have been used in our work on adding magnetism to the already unique combination of MAX phase properties. This is motivated by the inherent stable nanolaminated structure, being suitable for various applications demanding e.g. well controlled layer thickness, such as in TMR/GMR cells. For this objective, we have improved our previously developed approach for predicting the phase stability, i.e. the potential for experimental realization, of novel materials based on new combinations of atomic elements. Based on the theoretical work, we have experimentally realized five magnetic MAX phase alloys with intriguing properties (2 patents), where choice of elements as well as alloy concentrations can be used to tune the magnetic properties. Evaluated results to date show materials facilitating increased stability and scalability, and with properties promising for e.g. calorimetry and spintronics.
The new techniques and innovative methods presented above allows connecting between knowledge from first principles calculations with thin film synthesis and characterization. This, in turn, have enabled large area growth of unique nanoscale materials with proven outstanding properties, and potential technological impact on applications within, e.g. tribology, energy and catalysis. As most developed approaches are generic, the MULTIMATE can serve as a model for how succeeding generations/classes of compounds are explored.
The initiative involves advanced materials design by un-conventional synthesis methods, including hardware development (patented) and sputtering from liquid target material, as well as a new and unique synthesis method based on pulsed cathodic arc. The latter method allows exploration of innovative and novel combinations of a wide range of atomic elements and structures, and have been used for novel synthesis of graphene-like and fullerene-like materials, being of an extremely resilient character. We have been able to reduce previously observed formation temperatures drastically, and have been able to closely match the best results obtained for these materials by room temperature depositions. Superior tribological properties have been realized, including very good adhesion on industrially relevant substrates, a material hardness of up to 49 GPa, and an elastic recovery of 95 %. Additional explorative studies on graphene-like materials range from fundamentals of graphene, to discovery of new 2D materials (carbides) from selective etching of a 3D counterpart.
We set out to tailor uniquely combined metallic/ceramic/magnetic materials properties in new nanolaminates, specifically so called MAX phases, by designed atomic element substitution. MAX phases are carbides or nitrides based on typically three atomic elements, which are stacked in individual atomic layers, forming an inherent nanolaminated structure. Based on our previous theoretical prediction of tunability of conduction upon O incorporation in Ti2AlC, we have synthesized Ti2AlC1-xOx using two routes involving pulsed cathodic arc. Local compositional analysis shows a range of O concentrations with x ≤ 0.52 which according to theory may allow a conductivity going from insulating to n- and p-type. The project has been directed towards optimization of structural and compositional material quality, though detailed investigations of paths for process optimization and control of growth mechanisms. The resulting achieved material quality is far beyond any previous reports on MAX phase materials, and will be vital for the community and the applicability, providing unsurpassed prospects for design of specific properties. The identified paths and have been used in our work on adding magnetism to the already unique combination of MAX phase properties. This is motivated by the inherent stable nanolaminated structure, being suitable for various applications demanding e.g. well controlled layer thickness, such as in TMR/GMR cells. For this objective, we have improved our previously developed approach for predicting the phase stability, i.e. the potential for experimental realization, of novel materials based on new combinations of atomic elements. Based on the theoretical work, we have experimentally realized five magnetic MAX phase alloys with intriguing properties (2 patents), where choice of elements as well as alloy concentrations can be used to tune the magnetic properties. Evaluated results to date show materials facilitating increased stability and scalability, and with properties promising for e.g. calorimetry and spintronics.
The new techniques and innovative methods presented above allows connecting between knowledge from first principles calculations with thin film synthesis and characterization. This, in turn, have enabled large area growth of unique nanoscale materials with proven outstanding properties, and potential technological impact on applications within, e.g. tribology, energy and catalysis. As most developed approaches are generic, the MULTIMATE can serve as a model for how succeeding generations/classes of compounds are explored.