Composition of matter for composite plastic contact elements featuring controlled conduction pathways, and related manufacturing processes

• US 9,012,021 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Swift, Joseph A., Wallace, Stanley J., Bullock, Roger L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAY, JILL M
• Application Number:
  US12/055,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090246521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/378
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/025 with particular filler
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/081 Combinations of fibres of continuous or substantial length and short fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/882 partly or totally electrically conductive, e.g. for EMI shielding conductive floors or floor coverings H05F3/025; EMI shielding in general H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/3221 containing one or more nitrogen atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. pyrrole, pyridine or triazole
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/94 Applications in sensors, e.g. biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2300/12 Polymers characterised by physical features, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity or electrical conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/005 Reinforced macromolecular compounds with nanosized materials, e.g. nanoparticles, nanofibres, nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods or nanolayered materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/042 with carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 63/00 Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 65/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 79/02 Polyamines
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/127 by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases or vapours or other carbon-containing compounds in the form of gas or vapour, e.g. carbon monoxide, alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/74 with carbon or graphite; with carbides; with graphitic acids or their salts
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/83 with metals; with metal-generating compounds, e.g. metal carbonyls; Reduction of metal compounds on textiles
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/16 Processes for the non-uniform application of treating agents, e.g. one-sided treatment; Differential treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/04 mainly consisting of carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/127 comprising five-membered aromatic rings in the main chain, e.g. polypyrroles, polythiophenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2927 including structurally defined particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 : Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 : Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/294 : including metal or compound thereof [excluding glass, ceramic and asbestos]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2958 : Metal or metal compound in coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/298 : Physical dimension

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide composite materials, methods for making and processing these materials, and systems for using the composite materials. The disclosed composite material (or composite member) can include fiber-like and/or particulate materials incorporated within a binder polymer. For example, the composite member can include fibril-shaped, semi-conductive elements that are contained in a suitable binder polymer to achieve a particular resistance value, wherein the fibrils can be integrated and interlinked in a manner as to create an array of resistive elements that precisely define and control current flows through the related device. The composite member can therefore have resistive characteristics and, none or neglectablely low amount of capacitive or inductive characteristics. The composite member can be used in electric test market, e.g., as high performance, dynamic probes/sensors for very frequency and/or complex mixed-frequency signals.

Claims

1. A composite member comprising:

an insulating binder polymer;

a plurality of continuous filaments disposed within the insulating binder polymer to provide a primary electric conduction path, wherein the continuous filaments are separated along their lengths by the insulating binder polymer and the insulating binder polymer prevents electrical contact between separate continuous filaments within the insulating binder;

a catalytic metal attached along surfaces of continuous filaments of the plurality of continuous filaments;

one or more conductive fillers distributed within the insulating binder polymer to interlink the plurality of continuous filaments to create a secondary electric conduction path in the composite member;

wherein the one or more conductive fillers comprise;

(a) in situ patterned and grown inter-fiber linkages disposed where the catalytic metal is attached along surfaces of filaments of the plurality of continuous filaments,

(b) doped-silicon nanowires and more than one of carbon nanotubes, nanoscale graphene plates, and carbon nanofibers,

wherein the one or more conductive fillers are about 10¹ to about 10⁶ times shorter than the plurality of continuous filaments in at least one dimension,

wherein the one or more conductive fillers have a total concentration of about 2% or less by weight based on a total weight of the composite member and have an aspect ratio of about 1.0 or higher; and

wherein the plurality of continuous filaments has an equal or lower resistivity of the secondary electric conduction path,

wherein each continuous filament has a resistance ranging from about 0.01 to about 1000 megaohms/cm, and

wherein the composite member comprises one or more forms chosen from shafts, pillars, pipes, tubes, and hollow bodies.

2. The member of claim 1, wherein the insulating binder polymer comprises at least one of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin.

3. The member of claim 1, wherein the plurality of continuous filaments comprises one or more of fibers, wires, needles, threads, yarns, fabrics or combinations thereof.

4. The member of claim 1, wherein the one or more conductive fillers further comprises non-graphite platelets, nanorods, non-carbon nanofibers, or combinations thereof.

5. The member of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of continuous filaments comprises at least one of silicon, carbon, boron, doped silicon, boron-carbon, boron-nitride, metal oxides, doped metal oxides, carbonized synthetic fibers, carbonized polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) carbon fibers, pitch carbon fibers, partially carbonized PAN fibers, and graphite.

6. The member of claim 1, further comprising:

nanoscopic controlled conductive particles packed in the inter-fiber space within the insulating binder polymer, the nanoscopic particles comprising at least one of boron-doped carbon nanotubes, boron-nitride nanotubes, exfoliated graphine platelets, non-graphite platelets, gold nanowires, copper nanowires, metal/metal oxide-containing nanowires, and non-carbon nanofibers.

7. The member of claim 1, further comprising:

nanoscopic controlled conductive particles packed in the inter-fiber space within the insulating binder polymer, the nanoscopic particles comprising exfoliated graphine platelets and at least one of boron-doped carbon nanotubes, boron-nitride nanotubes, exfoliated graphine platelets, non-graphite platelets, gold nanowires, copper nanowires, metal/metal oxide-containing nanowires, and non-carbon nanofibers.

8. The member of claim 1, wherein each of the continuous filaments comprise a metal layer coating.

9. The member of claim 1, wherein the catalytic metal is attached on one filament of the plurality of continuous filaments, and wherein one or more conductive fillers is grown through the catalytic metal to interconnect the one filament with another filament that has a catalytic metal thereon.

10. The member of claim 1, wherein the member is in the form of a composite probe.

11. The member of claim 10, wherein the secondary electric conduction path reduces or eliminates capacitive domains and/or inductive domains that contribute to signal distortions when the composite probe is used to probe an active device.

12. The member of claim 1, wherein the member is in the form of a composite rod having a length of about 0.05 to about 0.5 inches.

13. An instrument probe comprising the composite member according to claim 1, wherein the instrument probe is configured to measure a dynamic behavior of an integrated circuit (IC), a semiconductor, a package, an interconnect, a circuit pathway, or a related circuit.

14. The instrument probe of claim 13, wherein the composite member is a composite rod having a diameter ranging from about 0.0004 inches to about 4 inches.

15. A composite member comprising:

an insulating binder polymer;

a plurality of continuous filaments disposed within the insulating binder polymer to provide a primary electric conduction path, wherein the continuous filaments are separated along their lengths by the insulating binder polymer and the insulating binder polymer prevents electrical contact between separate continuous filaments within the insulating binder; and

one or more conductive fillers distributed within the insulating binder polymer to interlink the plurality of continuous filaments to create a secondary electric conduction path in the composite member;

wherein the one or more conductive fillers comprise;

(a) in-situ patterned and grown inter-fiber linkages along surfaces of filaments of the plurality of continuous filaments,

(b) doped-silicon nanowires and at least one of carbon nanotubes, nanoscale graphene plates, and carbon nanofibers,

wherein the one or more conductive fillers are about 10¹ to about 10⁶ times shorter than the plurality of continuous filaments in at least one dimension, have a total concentration of about 2% or less by weight based on a total weight of the composite member, and have an aspect ratio of about 1.0 or higher,

wherein the plurality of continuous filaments has an equal or lower resistivity of the secondary electric conduction path,

wherein each continuous filament has a resistance ranging from about 0.01 to about 1000 megaohms/cm, and

wherein the composite member comprises one or more forms chosen from shafts, pillars, pipes, tubes, and hollow bodies.

16. The member of claim 15, further comprising a catalytic metal attached on one filament of the plurality of continuous filaments, and wherein one or more conductive fillers is grown through the catalytic metal to interconnect the one filament with another filament that has a catalytic metal thereon.

17. A composite member comprising:

an insulating binder polymer;

a plurality of continuous filaments disposed within the insulating binder polymer to provide a primary electric conduction path, wherein the continuous filaments are separated along their lengths by the insulating binder polymer and the insulating binder polymer prevents electrical contact between separate continuous filaments within the insulating binder;

one or more conductive fillers distributed within the binder polymer to interlink the plurality of continuous filaments to create a secondary electric conduction path in the composite member;

wherein the one or more conductive fillers are inserted along predetermined locations at surfaces of filaments of the plurality of continuous filaments,

wherein the one or more conductive fillers comprise doped-silicon nanowires and at least one of carbon nanotubes, nanoscale graphene plates, and carbon nanofibers,

wherein the one or more conductive fillers are about 10¹ to about 10⁶ times shorter than the plurality of continuous filaments in at least one dimension, have a total concentration of about 2% or less by weight based on a total weight of the composite member, and have an aspect ratio of about 1.0 or higher,

wherein the plurality of continuous filaments has an equal or lower resistivity of the secondary electric conduction path, wherein each continuous filament has a resistance ranging from about 0.01 to about 1000 megaohms/cm, and

wherein the composite member comprises one or more forms chosen from shafts, pillars, pipes, tubes, and hollow bodies.

18. The member of claim 17, further comprising a catalytic metal attached at predetermined locations on filaments of the plurality of continuous filaments, and wherein one or more conductive fillers is grown through the catalytic metal to interconnect a one filament of the plurality of continuous filaments with another filament of the plurality of continuous filaments that has a catalytic metal thereon.