Systems and methods for designing and fabricating multi-layer structures having thermal expansion properties

A method of fabricating a multi-layer structure, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a central layer;
• constraining a first layer to a first side of the central layer, the first layer having a first thickness and a first value for a thermal expansion property;
• and
• constraining a second layer to a second side of the central layer, the second layer having a second thickness and a second value for a thermal expansion property, the second thickness and the second value for a thermal expansion property and the first thickness and the first value for a thermal expansion property being such that, upon a change in temperature, the change in strain energy in the first layer and the change in strain energy in the second layer are substantially equal.

A system for designing multi-layer structures having thermal expansive properties, the system comprising:

• a first portion of logic configured to define a set of variables related to materials properties of a central layer, a first layer, and a second layer in a multi-layer structure, wherein the first layer and the second layer are constrained to the central layer and the first layer and the second layer have different thickness and different coefficients of thermal expansion;
• a second portion of logic configured to define, based on the set of variables related to the materials properties of the central layer, the first layer, and the second layer, a mathematical representation of the strain energy in the first layer and the strain energy in the second layer;
• and
• a third portion of logic configured to determine one or more solutions to the mathematical representation which satisfy the condition that, upon a change in temperature, the change in strain energy in the first layer and the change in strain energy in the second layer are within a predefined variance.