Presented at the COMSOL Conference 2010 Boston
Effective Medium Theory of Nanodielectrics
for Embedded Energy Storage Capacitors
- Rajesh Bikky1, Nacer Badi*1, Abdelhak
Bensaoula2
1 – Center for Advanced Materials, UH; 2 – Department of Physics,
UH
* – email address:
[email protected] Contents
Introduction
Background theory
Simulation
Results
Conclusion
Future work
Preview of empirical results
Introduction
Capacitors are passive devices that store
electrical charge because of charge separation
between plates.
Storing energy is a key issue in all electrical
equipment.
Passive components occupy about 70% of
space on PCBs[1].
Need for higher storage in compact space is
increasing by the day.
1. R. K. Ulrich and L. W. Schaper, “Integrated Passive Component Technology,” IEEE press, Wiley-
Interscience, 2003.
Introduction
Embedded Capacitors replace discrete capacitors
in modern technologies like system in package
(SIP) and system on chip (SOC)[2].
Advantages - Miniaturization, increase component
density and higher electrical performance [3].
Applications of Embedded Capacitors include:
2. J. Lu, “High Dielectric Constant Polymer Nanocomposites for Embedded Capacitor Applications,” Georgia
Institute of Technology, 2008.
3. S. K. Saha, “Nanodielectrics with giant permittivity”, Bull. Mater. Sci., Vol. 31, No. 3, June 2008, pp. 473–477.
Introduction
Traditional ceramic capacitors cannot be used as
embedded capacitors because of poor volumetric
efficiency.
Ceramic based dielectric material makes it hard to
manufacture (reproducibility, stability and cost) and
shows limited flexibility due to high ceramic
loading.
Polymer based dielectrics can be potential
embedded capacitors because of their advantages
and compatibility with PCB materials.
Background Theory:
POLYMERS
High processability, mechanical flexibility, electrical
breakdown strength
Low dielectric constant is a serious drawback for polymers
to be used as embedded capacitors.
This can be overcome by adding „fillers‟ to polymer matrix.
Composites cannot be made with ceramic fillers of smaller
size as their permittivity decreases with decrease in size[4].
High loading of ceramic fillers in polymer defeat the purpose
of composites.
4. J. Lu and C. P.Wong, “Recent advances in high-k nancomposite materials for embedded capacitor
application,” IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul.,vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 1322–1328, Oct. 2008.
Background Theory: METAL
NANOFILLERS
Metal nanoparticles are promising filler materials as low
loading will suffice.
They have interesting electrical, magnetic and physical
properties[5].
Metal-Polymer percolative composites are identified as
strong candidates to realize high K[6].
Nanoparticles based dielectrics have higher
capacitance density because of small thickness of the
5. L.film.
Nicolais and G. Carotenuto, Metal-Polymer Nanocomposites. John Wiley & Sons Inc.: Hoboken, NJ,
2005
6 . Yang Shen et al, “High Dielectric Performance of Polymer Composite Films Induced by a Percolating
Interparticle Barrier Layer”, Adv. Mater. 2007, 19, 1418–1422.
Background Theory:
CAPACITOR
Amount of charge stored in a capacitor is denoted
by its capacitance.
C – Capacitance
K 0 A K – Dielectric Constant
C ε0 – Permittivity of free
d space
A – Area of plates
d – Distance between
Greater the value of K, greater the C value.
plates
Relationship between polarization, electric field
and capacitance
P 0 e Eeffective P – Dielectric Polarization
where χe – Susceptibility
e K 1 E – Electric field between
plates
Background Theory: COMPOSITE
CAPACITOR
V
E
d
V = voltage applied to the E Epolarizatio
plates
Eeffectiven = E -
Epolarization
As Eeffective decreases, P and K increases
Background Theory: EFFECTIVE MEDIUM
THEORY (EMT)
Effective dielectric constant of medium is calculated
with EMTs[9]. Few popular EMTs are
EMT Formula εeff - effective permittivity
Model of the medium
h
Maxwell – 1 2 f ( i )
i 2 h εi - dielectric function of
Garnett eff h[ ]
i h inclusion (filler)
1 f ( )
i 2 h
Symmetric εh – dielectric constant of
1
Bruggeman
eff [3 f ( i h ) 2 h i host polymer
4
EMT (1 3 f ) 2 i2 2(2 9 f 9 f 2 ) i h (3 f 2) 2 h2 ]
f – fraction of inclusion
Asymmetric i eff eff 1A A=0.5 for disks and 0.33
(1 f )( )
Bruggeman i h h for spheres.
9. William M. Merrill, et al, “Effective Medium Theories for Artificial Materials Composed of Multiple Sizes of
Spherical Inclusions in a Host Continuum”, IEEE Transactions on antennas and propagation, vol. 47, no. 1,
January 1999.
Background Theory: DRUDE
THEORY
Dielectric constant of size dependent Au
nanoparticles[8] is
i freeelectrons boundelectrons
2 2
pf pf
i 1
2 i 2 2 i
f 0 b
ω - frequency
ωpf - plasma frequency = 1.3*1016 Hz
ϓf - size dependent damping factor = 2.65*1014 Hz
ϓb – bound electron damping term = 2.4*1014 Hz
ω0 - bound electron constant term = 7*1015 Hz
8. A. E. Neeves and M.N.Birnboim, “Composite Structure for the enhancement of nonlinear-optical
susceptibility”, J.Opt Soc. Am. B. Vol 6, No. 4, April 1989.
Background Theory: PERCOLATION
THEORY
Huge changes occur in physical and electrical
properties for a critical loading of nanoparticles,
known as percolation threshold, fc[10].
At loading above fc , dielectric loses its insulating
properties and becomes conductive.
Power law describes properties of system at fc
K
( f f c )s S is a constant of
Kh value 1
10. C. W. Nan, Y. Shen and Jing Ma, “Physical properties of composites near percolation”, Annu. Rev. Mater.
Res. 2010. 40:3.1–3.21
Simulation: SETUP
A 2-step procedure is employed to calculate
effective permittivity of the medium.
First step is to generate an arrangement of
nanoparticles in PVP matrix.
Disks and spheres are randomly arranged for 2D
and 3D modeling respectively.
Number of fillers is chosen according to desired
loading of nanoparticles.
Simulation: SETTINGS
AC/DC module – In plane electric currents model is
used.
In sub domain settings, appropriate materials are
selected from material library. Conductivities and
relative permitivities of PVP and Au are applied to the
geometry.
Using boundary conditions, one face is set as input
voltage while its opposite is ground. Other faces are
set to periodic condition.
Drude, EMT and Percolation theory expressions are
Simulation: SOLVERS and POST-
PROCESSING
Parametric solver sweeps frequencies from 1kHZ
to 1peta Hz at constant loading.
Parametric solver is also used at constant
frequency when loading is varied from 0 to 1.
Post-processing is used to create slice plots for
3D models and surface plots for 2D models.
Global expression plots and data points values
are acquired from post-processing.
Results: 2D MODELING
Additional
polarization is
created at surface
of fillers in direction
of electric field.
With increase in net
polarization,
effective dielectric
constant also
increases as
Electric polarization patterns in 2D
governed by
equations nanodielectric with f = 0.134
Results: 2D MODELING
f = 0.38 f = 0.78
Effective dielectric constant increases with increase
in loading of nanoparticles.
Results: 3D MODELING
3D and 2D models
follow same
pattern of
polarization
increase when
there is an
increase in loading
of nanoparticles.
Electric polarization patterns in
3D nanodielectric with
Results: 3D MODELING
f=0.078 f=0.155
Effective dielectric constant increases with increase in
loading of nanoparticles.
Results: K CALCULATION USING
EMTS
Effective dielectric constant of the medium is
calculated using above mentioned EMT
models.
• All
EMTs predictions are
close to each other at low
loading.
• EMTs fail at high loading
values because they
Real part of dielectric ignore the inter-particle
function of 2D composite effects which are
calculated using various predominant at those
EMTs values.
Results: K CALCULATION USING
PERCOLATION THEORY for 3D MODEL
Effective dielectric constant of the medium at fc is
calculated for 3D model.
Dielectric
constant
increases
gradually with
increase in
loading. There is
a sudden and
huge increase in
K value near
percolation
Results: K CALCULATION USING
PERCOLATION THEORY for 2D MODEL
Effective dielectric constant of the medium at fc is
calculated for 2D model.
An increase of
magnitude 200
times is
observed at fc. K
value of polymer
increased from 7
at f=0 to 1400 at
fc.
Conclusions
Electric field and polarization patterns of 2D and 3D
nanodielectrics are observed.
At low loading, EMTs and Percolation theory
predictions are close and both theories predict
gradual increase in dielectric constant.
EMTs fail at high loading but percolation theory
takes in to account the metal-insulator nature of the
composite and predicts huge increase in value of K
at percolation threshold.
At percolation threshold, K is determined as 1400,
where as for a bare polymer this value is just 7.
Future Work
• Thiswork will be extended other inexpensive
metals such as Ag.
• Studieswill be continued with particle of more
complex structures, such as core-shell type.
• Comparison between analytical and empirical
values will be carried out.
Preview of Empirical Results
• Nanoparticles are synthesis in our labs. Studies on PVP
films were conducted.
• Parallel plate nanodielectrics are fabricated with different
loadings of nanoparticles.
Loading of Loading of Breakdown Dielectric
nanoparticles nanoparticles field constant
(by weight) (by volume) (V/µm) (K)
0 0 130 7
0.88 0.056 80 8.1
2.2 0.14 81 6.6
3.4 0.217 75 4.5
10 0.064 33 20
I-V Characteristics of nanodielectrics.
Data used to plot the graph is
tabulated.
Preview of Empirical Results
• SEM structural analysis, I-V characterization and
capacitance measurements are carried out for fabricated
devices.
Loading of Loading of Breakdown Dielectric
nanoparticles nanoparticles field constant
(by weight) (by volume) (V/µm) (K)
0 0 130 7
0.88 0.056 80 8.1
2.2 0.14 81 6.6
3.4 0.217 75 4.5
10 0.64 33 20
Breakdown field of nanodielectrics Vs
Loading of nanoparticles. Data used to
plot the graph is tabulated.
With increase in loading of nanoparticles, breakdown field
decreases and dielectric constant increases.
