A report on the preparation and potential ap- plications of sculptured thin films (STFs) is presented. STFs are nano-engineered columnar thin films in which the columnar direction can made to change easily and of- ten during growth. STFs of virtually any material can be prepared through directional vapor deposition onto any surface under low adatom-mobility conditions. Colum- nar shapes, such as zig-zag, C-, S, helicoidal and super- helical, can be engineered in any sequence and with con- trolled density profiles. Although oblique deposition and the resulting anisotropic properties have been known for over a century, the general recognition that such nano- engineered morphologies can lead to unique and predict- able optical, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, thermal, and biological properties has occured only recently.
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