A Combinatorial Approach to Materials Discovery

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 268; no. 5218; pp. 1738 - 1740
• Main Authors: X.-D. Xiang, Sun, Xiaodong, Briceño, Gabriel, Lou, Yulin, Wang, Kai-An, Chang, Hauyee, Wallace-Freedman, William G., Chen, Sung-Wei, Schultz, Peter G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 23-06-1995; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Climate; Combinatorial analysis; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Film libraries; Innovations; Libraries; Material films; Materials research; Materials science; Miscellaneous; Molecules; Organic Chemistry; Population Distribution; Stoichiometry; Teeth; Temperature resistance; Thin film deposition; Thin films; Thin films; Solid state; Sample; Material engineering; Discoveries; Experimental study; Novelty; Production process
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.268.5218.1738

A method that combines thin film deposition and physical masking techniques has been used for the parallel synthesis of spatially addressable libraries of solid-state materials. Arrays containing different combinations, stoichiometries, and deposition sequences of BaCO$_3$, Bi$_2$O$_3$, CaO, CuO, PbO, SrCO$_3$, and Y$_2$O$_3$ were generated with a series of binary masks. The arrays were sintered and BiSrCaCuO and YBaCuO superconducting films were identified. Samples as small as 200 micrometers by 200 micrometers in size were generated, corresponding to library densities of 10,000 sites per square inch. The ability to generate and screen combinatorial libraries of solid-state compounds, when coupled with theory and empirical observations, may significantly increase the rate at which novel electronic, magnetic, and optical materials are discovered and theoretical predictions tested.