VOLTAGE SWITCHABLE DIELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING BONDED PARTICLE CONSTITUENTS

• US 20090212266A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Littelfuse Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shocking Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kosowsky, Lex, Fleming, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,206,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/510
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/006 Other inhomogeneous material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0254 High voltage adaptations; Electrical insulation details; Overvoltage or electrostatic discharge protection electrostatic discharge protection for electric apparatus in general H05K9/0067, H05K9/0079; Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0373 containing additives, e.g. fillers H05K1/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/167 incorporating printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0209 Inorganic, non-metallic particles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0224 Conductive particles having an insulating coating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0257 Nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/026 Nanotubes or nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0738 Use of voltage responsive materials, e.g. voltage switchable dielectric or varistor materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated

Abstract

A voltage switchable dielectric material comprising a concentration of multi-component particles that are individually formed by a mechanical or mechanochemical bonding process that bonds a semiconductive or conductive-type host particle with multiple insulative, conductive, or semi-conductive guest particles.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

a binder;

particles dispersed uniformly within the binder, wherein at least some of the particles are multi-component particles that singularly comprise;

a conductive-type host particle and multiple insulative or semi-conductive guest particles;

wherein said composition is (i) dielectric in absence of a voltage that exceeds a characteristic voltage level, and (ii) conductive with application of said voltage that exceeds the characteristic voltage level.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least some of the particles singularly comprise the conductive host particle being bonded with the multiple insulative or semi-conductive guest particles through mechanical or mechano-chemical bonding.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the particles are dispersed into the binder past a percolation threshold.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the percolation threshold coincides with a conductor or semiconductor particle concentration in range of 20-80% by volume.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the host particle is micron sized, and the guest particles are nano or sub-micron sized.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the guest material is organic.

7. The composition of claim 5, wherein the organic material corresponds to carbon nanotubes, perylene, or graphene.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the guest material includes titanium dioxide or fumed silica.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least some of the particles are high-aspect ratio nanoparticles that are uniformly dispersed in the binder.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the particles are dispersed into the binder past a percolation threshold, and wherein the characteristic voltage is dependent in part on a resistive characteristic of the guest material for the multi-component particle.

11. A voltage switchable dielectric material comprising a concentration of multi-component particles that are individually formed by a mechanical or mechanochemical bonding process that bonds a conductive-type host particle with multiple insulative or semi-conductive guest particles.

12. The voltage switchable dielectric material of claim 11, wherein a particle concentration of the material exceeds percolation.

13. The voltage switchable dielectric material of claim 11, further comprising:

a concentration of single-component conductor elements in addition to the multi-component particles.

14. The voltage switchable dielectric material of claim 11, further comprising:

a concentration of high aspect ratio nano-particles.

15. A device comprising:

a layer of voltage switchable dielectric material provided as a protective layer against transient electrical conditions, wherein the voltage switchable dielectric material comprises a concentration of multi-component particles that are individually formed by a mechanical or mechanochemical bonding process that bonds a conductive-type host particle with multiple insulative or semi-conductive guest particles.