Phys.org July 27, 2021
The structure of a glass closely resembles the liquid phase, but its properties are like solids, akin to a crystal. In vapor deposition, a material is changed from a gas into a solid directly. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used vapor deposition to create very dense thin-film glasses, corresponding to the packing of the new liquid phase, with a density much higher than was predicted to be possible without applying immense amounts of pressure. Thin films of these glasses can have density values even higher than crystal. Detailed structural information analysis of how individual molecules are packed helped the researchers confirm that what they were seeing was not merely a crystal but instead an entirely new phase in the glass. Another hypothesis based on the data they’ve collected so far is that the ability to access this unique phase is due to the glass’ geometry, which means that this work could have implications for other types of materials such as metallic materials that are commonly used in semiconductors. It could provide a predictive platform for developing new materials in applications and new technologies…read more.
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