Electrically and Thermally Conducting Nanocomposites for Electronic Applications

Abstract

Nanocomposites made up of polymer matrices and carbon nanotubes are a class of advanced materials with great application potential in electronics packaging. Nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes as fillers have been designed with the aim of exploiting the high thermal, electrical and mechanical properties characteristic of carbon nanotubes. Heat dissipation in electronic devices requires interface materials with high thermal conductivity. Here, current developments and challenges in the application of nanotubes as fillers in polymer matrices are explored. The blending together of nanotubes and polymers result in what are known as nanocomposites. Among the most pressing current issues related to nanocomposite fabrication are (i) dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the polymer host, (ii) carbon nanotube-polymer interaction and the nature of the interface, and (iii) alignment of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix. These issues are believed to be directly related to the electrical and thermal performance of nanocomposites. The recent progress in the fabrication of nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes as fillers and their potential application in electronics packaging as thermal interface materials is also reported.

Development of Thermally Conductive Polymer Materials and their Investigation

“…It means that the low melting point alloy can help the flow of the polymer melt. Because the solder has higher density (~7.4 g/cm 3 ) than the polypropylene (~0.95 g/cm 3 ) the mechanical mixing of the matrix and filler is insufficient to get homogenous mixture. So the real filler content of the specimens changed in a wide range and should be calculated after injection molding.…”

“…Beside this the heat dissipation has a great influence on the lifespan. It is well known that the reliability of devices is exponentially dependent on its operating temperature, so a small difference in operating temperatures (about 10-15°C) can halve the lifespan of the devices [1][2][3][4][5]. It is well known that the polymer materials are good thermal insulators as their thermal conductivity varies between 0.1 and 0.5 W/(m•K).…”

Polyaniline/Polystyrene Blends: In-Depth Analysis of the Effect of Sulfonic Acid Dopant Concentration on AC Conductivity Using Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy

“…Of various processes used, blending of PANI with other polymers (thermoplastic or thermosetting) is one of the most commonly used techniques to enhance its mechanical strength. Using this method, the synergic combination of improved electrical properties from PANI and enhanced mechanical properties from conventional polymers can be amalgamated to produce a material with more potential applications in the electronics industry [15]. Blending of PANI with different types of conventional polymers, such as polyacrylonitrile [16], polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polystyrene (PS) [17,18], have been investigated.…”

Printing Polymer Nanocomposites and Composites in Three Dimensions

“…[1][2][3] There exist various types of nanomaterials including, but not limited to, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, metallic nanowires, metallic and ceramic nanoparticles, clay nanoplatelets, and quantum dots. The incorporation of these nanomaterials into polymers enables the fabrication of entirely new materials, called polymer nanocomposites that exhibit unique properties or functionality (e.g., electrical and thermal conductivities, [4] electro-mechanical sensitivity, [5] magnetism, [6] and mechanical strength [7] ). For instance, electrically conductive nanomaterials such as silver nanoparticles, copper nanowires, and graphene are used to enhance the overall conductivity of relatively insulating polymers for a broad range of potential applications.…”