表面改質技術持續不斷地發展以追求更佳的機械強度、熱穩定性、抗腐蝕及抗磨耗特性。近來奈米科技的大興，對新穎薄膜的設計再度灌注入一股新的活水，綜觀而言，我們可將此視為精確控制薄膜微結構、組成物及鍍覆製程的結果，造就各種性質的急遽提升。
為了衝擊奈米複合與奈米多層保護性薄膜的設計概念，進一步開創一嶄新思維模式，本研究企圖引入仿生材料的觀點。第一部分重點置於無機薄膜性質的改良，俾以多相及梯度材料的設計取代傳統單相及均質性之薄膜。第二部分則強調新穎仿生多層薄膜的開發，並嘗試突破現有無機保護膜的極限。
研究首先以磁控濺鍍之方式製備不同週期厚度之氮化鉻鋁矽/氮化鎢多層薄膜，藉由穿透式電子顯微鏡之高解析模式及暗場影像之輔助，可驗證此多層結構之超晶格特性。緻密的微結構及大量介面引入造成的強化效應使得此多層薄膜展現出極為優異的機械特性。當週期厚度控制為8奈米時，膜之最高硬度可達41 GPa。經過磨耗測試後，不若單層薄膜易於崩解，氮化鉻鋁矽/氮化鎢多層薄膜仍舊維持其奈米層狀結構，並無直接穿透之裂痕產生，惟膜之厚度稍被削薄。
在氮化鈦鋁/氮化矽之多層薄膜，由電子顯微鏡技術可揭露氮化矽之厚度對多層薄膜織構及微結構之影響。當氮化矽厚度較薄時，其結構以結晶之介穩態存在，與氮化鈦鋁所形成之契合介面可有效地提升多層膜之硬度及硬度/楊氏係數之比率。氮化矽厚度增至1奈米時，其非晶特性阻礙了超晶格之形成，然而此細晶結構展現了極其出色的抗塑性變形能力。故可依氮化矽之厚度提出兩種截然不同之多層膜抗磨耗機制。此外，當氮化矽為非晶態時可阻斷柱狀晶之成長，此緻密結構同時亦阻斷了腐蝕性離子藉由晶界擴散至基材的通道，進而提升抗腐蝕之表現。
考量鍍膜結構由三維之奈米多層薄膜轉變為二維之奈米複晶薄膜，藉特殊之電漿輔助磁控濺鍍系統可製備出不同矽與碳含量之氮化鈦矽碳厚膜，其晶粒尺寸約莫為10奈米，此種熱力學驅動之相分離展現出不錯之硬度表現。藉由精準之製程參數控制與場發射電子微探儀分析，可在此厚膜中調控出一明顯之成分、相及結構梯度，故可同時在厚膜中達到高硬度及高壓縮性之要求。外硬內韌之特性亦符合大自然界中生物材料最理想之鎧甲設計，此氮化鈦矽碳厚膜亦展現了絕佳之抗磨耗性。
將眼光自實驗室開展至大自然，可發現鮑魚殼層，乃由90 %碳酸鈣與10 %有機質組成之磚形微結構，其韌性可達碳酸鈣之數千倍，而有機層與無機層界面及各種微奈米強化機制於整體機械性質表現至關重要。利用反應式磁控濺鍍與脈衝雷射蒸鍍組成之複合系統可製備出一新穎之有機/無機多層薄膜，其週期厚度對多層膜之機械性質的影響因素亦可有系統地探討，並以微結構之觀點解釋此超韌薄膜之形成原因。
最後，本研究利用奈米壓痕及奈米刮痕測試以評估一首見之仿生二硼化鈦/鋯銅鎳鋁多層薄膜之強化特性，以具有大幅度週期性變化之楊氏係數的材料系統做為新穎之薄膜設計，證實於高楊氏係數之硬質陶瓷薄膜中嵌入金屬玻璃薄膜可有效地提升多層膜之本質機械特性，尤其是對破裂的抵抗程度。週期厚度為40奈米之多層薄膜展現了最佳的表現，肇因於非晶與結晶層之個別奈米尺度特性，以及強而有力的非晶/結晶介面，電子顯微鏡分析進一步地驗證此特殊系統之強化機制。

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