Voltage switchable dielectric material having bonded particle constituents

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.

1 . A composition comprising:
 a binder;   particles dispersed uniformly within the binder, wherein at least some of the particles are mufti-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 mufti-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.