Polymer-inorganic particle composites
View Patent ↗Inorganic particle/polymer composites are described that involve chemical bonding between the elements of the composite. In some embodiments, the composite composition includes a polymer having side groups chemically bonded to inorganic particles. Furthermore, the composite composition can include chemically bonded inorganic particles and ordered copolymers. Various electrical, optical and electro-optical devices can be formed from the composites.
1. A method for forming a device component on a solid substrate, the method comprising:
forming a dispersion comprising a dispersant liquid, inorganic particles having a submicron average primary particle diameter and a polymer wherein the inorganic particles comprise metal/metalloid oxides, metal/metalloid nitrides, metal/metalloid carbides, metal/metalloid sulfides, metal/metalloid phosphates or mixtures thereof and wherein the polymer comprises an organic polymer, a polysiloxane, or a mixture therefore;
associating the dispersion with the solid substrate; and
removing the dispersant liquid to form a composite, the composite comprising the polymer chemically bonded with the inorganic particles, wherein the composite is localized into a specific region covering only a portion of the solid substrate surface.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises polyamides, polyimides, polyacrylates, poly acrylic acid, polyacrylamides, polysiloxanes or mixtures thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises polymers with conjugated polymer backbones, polymers with aromatic polymer backbones, or mixtures thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises electrically conducting polymers.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite has at least about 25 weight percent inorganic particles.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the association of the dispersion comprises a self-assembly process.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the association of the dispersion further comprises implementing a boundary defining process related to identifying the specific region.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the composite is chemically bonded to the substrate.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the boundary defining process comprises activating the self-assembly process within a specific continuous region defined on only a portion of the solid substrate surface.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the boundary defining process comprises activating the self-assembly process outside a specific continuous region covering only a portion of the surface of the substrate.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a coupler/divider for optical transmission and wherein the composite has a selected index of refraction.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a field effect transistor comprising source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, and a channel;
wherein the source electrode and drain electrode are disposed on a first surface of the channel;
wherein the gate electrode is disposed on the first surface of the channel or a second surface of the channel and between the source electrode and drain electrode;
wherein at least one of the electrodes or the gate comprises the localized composite.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite has a selected index of refraction.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the device is an optical device.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the composite is less than about 1 micron.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the average primary particle diameter is less than about 100 nm.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least about 95 percent of the inorganic particles have a diameter greater than about 40 percent of the average primary particle diameter and less than about 160 percent of the average primary diameter.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the inorganic particles comprise a metal oxide.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the inorganic particles comprise a phosphor.
20. A method for forming a device component on a solid substrate, the method comprising associating a composite with the solid substrate, the composite comprising a polymer chemically bonded with inorganic particles having a submicron average primary particle diameter, wherein the composite is localized into a specific region covering only a portion of the solid substrate surface, wherein the at least about 95 percent of the inorganic particles have a diameter greater than about 40 percent of the average primary particle diameter and less than about 160 percent of the average primary diameter.