New Research Examines How Nanoscopic Ripples Affect Material Properties
Binghamton University, State University of New YorkWhen materials are created on a nanometer scale 鈥 just a handful of atoms thick 鈥 even the thermal energy present at room temperature can cause structural ripples. How these ripples affect the mechanical properties of these thin materials can limit their use in electronics and other key systems. New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York validates theoretical models about how elasticity is scale-dependent 鈥 in other words, the elastic properties of a material are not constant, but vary with the size of the piece of material.