COMPOSITION OF MATTER FOR COMPOSITE PLASTIC CONTACT ELEMENTS FEATURING CONTROLLED CONDUCTION PATHWAYS, AND RELATED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

• US 20090246521A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Stanley J., Bullock, Roger L., SWIFT, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,012,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/401
• 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:

a binder polymer; and

a plurality of continuous filaments disposed within the binder polymer to provide a primary electric conduction length, wherein the plurality of continuous filaments are further interlinked in a manner to create a secondary electric conduction path that controls a current level that is translated through the composite member.

2. The member of claim 1, 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.

3. The member of claim 1, wherein the binder polymer is insulating and comprises one or more materials chosen from a thermosetting resin, or a thermoplastic resin.

4. The member of claim 1, wherein the binder polymer is conductive and comprises one or more materials chosen from polypyrrole, polyaniline, or derivatives thereof.

5. 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.

6. The member of claim 1, further comprising one or more conductive fillers distributed within the binder polymer to interlink the plurality of continuous filaments.

7. The member of claim 6, wherein each conductive filler comprises one or more nanoscopic materials chosen from carbon nanotubes, doped-silicon nanowires, and nanoscale graphene plates, non-graphite platelets, nanorods, carbon nanofibers, non-carbon nanofibers, or other conducting nanostructures.

8. The member of claim 6, wherein the one or more conductive fillers have an aspect ratio of about 1.0 or higher.

9. The member of claim 6, wherein the one or more conductive fillers have a concentration of about 10% or less by weight based on a total weight of the composite member.

10. The member of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of continuous filaments comprises a material containing one or more 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, or graphite.

11. An instrument probe comprising the composite member according to claim 1 for measuring dynamic behavior of a device chosen from integrated circuits (ICs), semiconductors, packages, interconnects, circuit pathways, or related circuits.

12. The instrument probe of claim 11, wherein the composite member comprises one or more forms chosen from shafts, pillars, pipes, tubes, and hollow bodies.

13. The instrument probe of claim 11, wherein the composite member is a composite rod having a diameter ranging from about 0.0004 inches to about 4 inches.

14. A method for forming a composite probe comprising:

providing a plurality of continuous filaments;

forming a composite member that comprises the plurality of continuous filaments within a binder polymer for providing a primary electric conduction length, wherein the plurality of continuous filaments are further interconnected in a manner to create a secondary electric conduction path; and

shaping the composite member into one or more probe tips.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the composite member utilizes one or more techniques chosen from pultrusion, filament-winding, prepreg-forming, fiber placing operation, injection molding, extrusion, or injection blowing.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising mixing one or more conductive fillers within the binder polymer for providing the secondary electric conduction path of the composite member.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising in-situ growing one or more conductive fillers to interlink the plurality of continuous filaments for providing the secondary electric conduction path.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising,

forming one or more conductive fillers by attriting one or more continuous filaments, wherein the one or more conductive fillers have at least one dimension smaller than the plurality of continuous filaments in a range of about 10 to about 1,000,000 times smaller.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising,

assembling the one or more probe tips in a probe holder, wherein each probe tip has a contact face, and

forming probe contacts by joining a metal interconnecting plunger with the contact face of each probe tip.

20. A method for forming a composite probe comprising:

providing one or more conductive fillers;

forming a composite member that comprises a plurality of continuous filaments and the one or more conductive fillers disposed within a binder polymer, wherein the plurality of continuous filaments are further interlinked by the one or more conductive fillers; and

shaping the composite member into one or more probe tips.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising grinding one or more continuous filaments to provide the one or more conductive fillers.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the composite member further comprises,

mixing the one or more conductive fillers with the binder polymer in a liquid phase,

pultruding the plurality of continuous filaments with the mixed liquid phase, and

solidifying the pultruded mixed liquid phase.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the composite member further comprises,

attaching a catalytic metal on one filament of the plurality of continuous filaments, and

in-situ growing a nanowire through the catalytic metal to interconnect the one filament of the plurality of continuous filaments with another filament that has a catalytic metal thereon.