Elastic Strain Engineering Using ML Bandgap Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current strain engineering methods are limited to uniaxial and biaxial strains due to the complexity of predicting and testing material properties with strains having three or more degrees of freedom, making it impractical to explore the entire range of possible strains for altering material properties.

Innovation Solution

Development of a trained statistical model that predicts the bandgap and energy dispersion of materials under strains with three or more degrees of freedom, using machine learning techniques to generate models from training data and apply them to determine material properties across various strain coordinates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If strains with three or more degrees of freedom are applied to explore the full parameter space for material property engineering, then the ability to tune material properties (electronic bandgap, electrical, thermal, optical, magnetic characteristics) is significantly improved, but the complexity of predicting and testing the entire range of possible strains becomes prohibitively high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to tune material propertiesVSAvoidcomplexity of predicting and testing strain ranges
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-training statistical models using density functional theory calculations across the full strain parameter space before actual material design. The trained models are then reused for predicting material properties under various strain conditions, avoiding the need to perform complex calculations each time a new strain configuration is evaluated. This preliminary preparation resolves the contradiction by enabling rapid property tuning without repeated computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the entire range of possible strains is experimentally tested to determine material properties, then accurate property prediction across all strain coordinates is achieved, but the time and resources required for testing become impractical

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of material property predictionVSAvoidtime required for experimental testing
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs copying by creating statistical model representations of the complex density functional theory calculations. These trained models serve as simplified copies that can rapidly predict material properties for any strain configuration without requiring actual experimental testing or full computational calculations. This approach achieves accurate property prediction while dramatically reducing the time required compared to exhaustive experimental testing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Ease of manufacture

If computational methods are used to predict material properties for all strain configurations, then experimental requirements are reduced, but the computational cost and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereduction of experimental requirementsVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by performing computational work in advance through training statistical models on density functional theory data. Once trained, these models provide rapid predictions with minimal computational overhead. This preliminary computational action reduces subsequent experimental requirements while avoiding the need for repeated complex calculations, thereby easing the manufacturing and design process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3864471B1Elastic strain engineering of materials
Publication Date: 2023.01.25 MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH
  • EP3864471B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3864471B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3864471B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

Methods for training statistical models for the bandgap and energy dispersion of materials as a function of an applied strain, as well as uses of these trained statistical models for elastic strain engineering of materials, are described.