High Strength 3D Metal–Ceramic Nanoarchitecture Fabricated via Proximity Field Nanopatterning

Nanoscale porous metal structures can achieve high strength‐to‐weight ratios, but conventional fabrication methods involve a trade‐off between the size of the unit cell and the production speed, making it difficult to fabricate large‐scale nanoscale architectures. In this study, we overcome this limitation by employing proximity field nanopatterning combined with electroplating and atomic layer deposition to fabricate large‐area Ni/Al 2 O 3 nanoarchitected 3D structures. The fabricated nanoarchitected 3D structures exhibit high strength enhancement attributable to both size‐dependent effects of the metal and ceramic layers, and the blocked dislocation motion at the interface. Compression tests demonstrated that the strength of the nanoarchitected 3D structures increased with the thickness of the Al 2 O 3 coating, with flow stresses reaching 780 and 1210 MPa for coating thicknesses of 6 and 36 nm, respectively—representing increases of 42% and 119% compared to the calculated strength of a 3D Ni‐only structure without Al 2 O 3 coating based on finite element simulations. Additionally, the study revealed a brittle‐to‐ductile transition in Al 2 O 3 coatings as their thickness decreased. This enhanced ductility facilitated co‐deformation with the Ni matrix, reducing delamination and leading to a more significant strengthening effect for thinner alumina coatings.