Method of coating a substrate so as to provide a controlled in-plane compositional modulation

A method of coating a substrate so as to provide a controlled in-plane compositional modulation, comprising:

• providing a first target of a first material or material composition;
• providing a second target of a second material or material composition, different from the first material or material composition;
• activating the first and second targets to release particles by evaporation, sublimation or sputtering;
• and
• causing the released particles to impinge onto the substrate such that the substrate is coated;
• and
• wherein activation of one of the targets includes providing a series of activation pulses, such that pulsed evaporation, sublimation or sputtering of particles is provided, while the other one of the targets is substantially passive;
• wherein the first and second target materials or material compositions present:
• a respective homologous temperature, defined as a ratio of the substrate temperature to the target material or material composition melting temperature of the target material or material composition having the lowest melting temperature,
• a miscibility, as defined by a mixing enthalpy of the target materials or material compositions,
• wherein the mixing enthalpy of the materials or material compositions greater than zero is defined as immiscible and a mixing enthalpy of the materials or material compositions less than zero is defined as miscible,
• wherein the target materials or material compositions present two-dimensional growth,
• wherein the homologous temperature is greater than 0.1 and less than 0.4;
• wherein the amount of material deposited per pulse train from each target material or material composition is greater than 0.1 monolayer and less than 2 monolayers, and
• wherein the target materials or material compositions are miscible.

A method of coating a substrate so as to provide a controlled in-plane compositional modulation, comprising:

• providing a first target of a first material or material composition,
• providing a second target of a second material or material composition, different from the first material or material composition;
• activating the first and second targets to release particles by evaporation, sublimation or sputtering;
• and
• causing the released particles to impinge onto the substrate such that the substrate is coated;
• and
• wherein activation of one of the targets includes providing a series of activation pulses, such that pulsed evaporation, sublimation or sputtering of particles is provided, while the other one of the targets is substantially passive;
• wherein the first and second target materials or material compositions present:
• a respective homologous temperature, defined as a ratio of the substrate temperature to the target material or material composition melting temperature of the target material or material composition having the lowest melting temperature,
• a miscibility, as defined by a mixing enthalpy of the target materials or material compositions,
• wherein the mixing enthalpy of the materials or material compositions greater than zero is defined as immiscible and a mixing enthalpy of the materials or material compositions less than zero is defined as miscible,
• wherein the target materials or material compositions present three-dimensional growth, whereby the first target material or material composition presents three-dimensional growth on the second target material or material composition and the second material or material composition presents two-dimensional growth on the first target material or material composition;
• wherein the homologous temperature is greater than 0.1 and less than 0.4;
• wherein the amount of material deposited per pulse train from each target material or material composition is greater than 0.1 monolayer and less than 50 monolayers, and
• wherein the target materials or material compositions are miscible.