Abstract: According to an embodiment, a ballistic structure comprises a front pellet layer configured to face a ballistic threat and rear pellet layer therebehind, each of the pellet layers comprising a plurality of pellets, which can be made of a ceramic material, having cylindrical bodies with their height axes in both layers being substantially parallel to each other, the pellets being arranged in a honeycomb pattern within a binder matrix, the pellet layers being codisposed such that all interior spaces (i.e., spaces which are surrounded on all sides by pellets) of each pellet layer are entirely overlapped by an area of the other pellet layer that is free of such spaces, the two layers being by an intermediate layer having such a width and being made of such a material as to allow the rear layer to rigidly support the front layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention involve introducing at least two metals into a chamber to form an alloy layer over a substrate. In one embodiment, at least two metals are mixed and introduced into a chamber containing a substrate and in which a focused ion beam contacts the two metals to form at least one alloy layer over the substrate. In another embodiment, at least two precursor gas sources are introduced into the chamber in which each precursor gas source contains a metal. The focused ion beam contacts the two precursor gases to form an alloy layer over the substrate. In yet another embodiment, a second metal layer is formed over a first metal layer to form a multi-metal layer. Thereafter, thermal treatment or introducing a focused ion beam to at least a portion of the multi-metal layer is performed to create at least one alloy layer over the substrate.