multilayerStapel

MultilayerStapel is a layered assembly in which two or more materials are organized into distinct layers along a common axis. The arrangement can be designed to tailor optical, electronic, thermal, or mechanical properties that cannot be achieved with a single material. In practice, a MultilayerStapel may span from a few nanometers to several micrometers in total thickness and is used in fields such as microelectronics, photonics, energy storage, and protective coatings.

Materials and deposition: Layer choices are guided by desired function, such as high refractive index contrasts for mirrors, diffusion barriers for chips, or conductive/insulating sequences in capacitors. Common deposition methods include physical vapor deposition (sputtering, evaporation), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and electrochemical deposition. Interface engineering is important to control adhesion, diffusion, and stress.

Applications: Dielectric mirrors and optical coatings, semiconductor interconnect stacks, battery electrode stacks, barrier/adhesion layers, and multifunctional coatings combining hardness, corrosion resistance, and low friction.

Characterization and challenges: Characterization uses X-ray reflectivity, ellipsometry, transmission electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry to measure thickness, composition, and interfaces. Design challenges include interdiffusion at interfaces, thermal expansion mismatch, mechanical stress, and environmental degradation.

Variants: Organic–inorganic stacks, metal-dielectric stacks, or superconducting multilayers. The term is used across disciplines and may be specified with material names and layer sequences when applied to a particular system.