Novel Layered Nanocomposite Structure Robert C. Cammarata, Johns Hopkins University, DMR 076178

1. Self-Patterning of Metal Islands on a Buckled Substrate with a Delaminated OverlayerRobert C. Cammarata, Johns Hopkins University, DMR 076178 Copper islands of 5mm in size have been produced by electrochemical deposition onto a buckled substrate. The substrate is a glass slide with an overlayer of amorphous NiTi that has become partially delaminated and buckled after the substrate had been bent by an applied external force. The islands are arranged in a line-by-line pattern, forming alternate zones of island depletion and island concentration. The self-patterning of islands is attributed to the interaction of the depositing islands with the nonuniform stress field resulting from the bucking of the delaminated overlayer. Scanning electron microscope image of Cu islands deposited on a buckled amorphous substrate. Island sizes are about 5 mm.

2. Novel Layered Nanocomposite StructureRobert C. Cammarata, Johns Hopkins University, DMR 076178 During the past summer, a high school senior, Grace French, and a undergraduate from PennState, Patrick Breysse, worked on projects involving electrochemical deposition of thin films. Ms. French designed and built a new electrochemical cell that has greatly improved our ability to monitor intrinsic stress development during deposition. Mr. Breysse designed and implemented a deposition system to produce multilayer structures composed of alternating layers of a metal and metal-matrix nanoparticulate composite. A side-view scanning electron microscope image of such a structure is shown in the figure. Nanoindentation testing of the hardness of these structures is currently being conducted. Scanning electron microscope image of a layered structure composed of nickel layers alternately stacked with nanocomposites layers composed of nickel embedded with nanoscale alumina