Carbon nanotube reinforced metal composites

• US 20070036978A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Chen, Quanfang
• Granted Patent: US 7,651,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/408
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/08 with one or more parts not made from powder B22F7/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 2026/002 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 49/14 characterised by the fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 15/02 Combined electrolytic and electrophoretic processes with charged materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2885 using an external electrical current, i.e. electro-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76838 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the conductors etching for patterning the conductors H01L21/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76877 Filling of holes, grooves or trenches, e.g. vias, with conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49877 Carbon, e.g. fullerenes superconducting fullerenes H10N60/853
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5252 comprising anti-fuses, i.e. connections having their state changed from non-conductive to conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53276 containing carbon, e.g. fullerenes superconducting fullerenes H10N60/853
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/778 within specified host or matrix material, e.g. nanocomposite films
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/784 Electrically conducting, semi-conducting, or semi-insulating host material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/833 Thermal property of nanomaterial, e.g. thermally conducting/insulating or exhibiting peltier or seebeck effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

A carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite material includes a continuous metal phase, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the continuous metal phase. The metal phase extends throughout substantially an entire thickness of the nanocomposite material. The nanotubes are preferably single wall nanotubes (SWNTs). Carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposites according to the invention provide thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity which are generally significantly higher than the pure metal continuous phase material, mechanical strength is 2 to 3 times greater than that of the pure metal, and a tailorable coefficient of thermal expansion obtainable through changing the percentage of nanotubes in the nanocomposite.

Claims

1. A carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite material, comprising:

a continuous metal phase, and

a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in said continuous metal phase, wherein said metal phase extends throughout substantially an entire thickness of said nanocomposite material.

2. The nanocomposite of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of nanotubes are in physical contact.

3. The composite of claim 1, said continuous metal phase comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, chromium, tungsten, silver, nickel and gold.

4. The composite of claim 1, wherein said continuous metal phase comprises copper.

5. The composite of claim 4, wherein said carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite material provides a 25°

C. electrical conductivity and bulk thermal conductivity that are both at least 20% greater than pure copper.

6. The composite of claim 4, wherein said carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite material provides coefficient of thermal expansion in the range from 3 to 6×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/K in the temperature range from 25 to 150°

C.

7. The composite of claim 1, wherein said plurality of carbon nanotubes consist essentially of single wall nanotubes (SWNTs).

8. The composite of claim 1, wherein a volume fraction of said plurality of carbon nanotubes is from 5 to 30% of said nanocomposite.

9. The composite of claim 1, wherein said plurality of carbon nanotubes are preferentially aligned in said composite in a direction generally orthogonal to a direction of said thickness of said nanocomposite.

10. An article, comprising,

a semiconducting substrate layer, and

at least one carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite layer disposed on said base layer, said nanocomposite layer comprising a continuous metal phase, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in said continuous metal phase, wherein said metal phase extends throughout substantially an entire thickness of said nanocomposite material.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein said carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite layer comprises at least one metal interconnect layer for said article.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of said nanocomposite layer is within 30% of a coefficient of thermal expansion of said semiconducting layer in the temperature range from 25 to 150°

C.

13. The article of claim 10, wherein said metal comprises copper.

14. The article of claim 10, wherein said plurality of carbon nanotubes consist essentially of single wall nanotubes (SWNTs).

15. The article of claim 10, wherein said plurality of carbon nanotubes are preferentially aligned in said composite in a direction generally orthogonal to a direction of said thickness of said nanocomposite.