Multilayer conductor, method for manufacturing the same, and assembly including a multilayer conductor

Abstract

A multilayer conductor includes a conductor layer and a dielectric layer on the conductor layer. The dielectric layer has a dissipation rate (D) of less than 0.001. f The materials described herein include polymer compositions having cyclic olefin copolymers, transoctenomer rubbers, syndiotactic polystyrenes, polymethylpentene olefin copolymers, or combinations thereof. The materials described herein can advantageously provide improved adhesive strength between the conductor and the dielectric layer. Methods for manufacturing multilayer conductors are also described. Multilayer conductors may be useful for fabricating magnetic self-resonant structures.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 461,399, filed on 24 April 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Inductive wireless power transfer (EMF) provides a method for supplying power to and charging mobile electronic devices such as smartphones. This technology is desirable to be highly efficient and easy to manufacture, for example, using inexpensive mass production methods. Such technology enables the power supply and charging of high-power items, including electric passenger cars, forklifts, material handling equipment, buses, or automated guided vehicles. [Background technology]

[0003] Existing methods for enabling electromagnetic induction wireless power transfer can utilize magnetic self-resonant structures. These structures may include multiple patterned and joined conductors, which maintain the same z-axis distance between each set of conductors. Conventional materials used to prepare such materials have been limited due to material requirements for specific applications (e.g., electrical performance and dielectric strength). [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Therefore, it would be desirable to expand the range of materials that can be used for this application. It would be even more beneficial if the adhesion between the conductive metal and the dielectric layer could be improved. Such a structure appears particularly suitable for use as a magnetic self-resonant structure for electromagnetic induction wireless power transfer applications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The multilayer conductor comprises a conductor layer and a dielectric layer on the conductor layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a polymer composition having a dissipation rate (Df) of less than 0.001, including cyclic olefin copolymer, transoctenamer rubber, syndiotactic polystyrene, polymethylpentene olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof, and the interface between the conductor layer and the dielectric layer has a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI) (0.88 kilonewtons / meter).

[0006] A method for manufacturing a multilayer conductor comprises applying a solvent to a first layer, wherein the dielectric layer is a coating composition comprising a polymer composition having a dissipation rate (Df) of less than 0.001, comprising a cyclic olefin copolymer, a transoctenomer rubber, a syndiotactic polystyrene, a polymethylpentene olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof; removing the solvent to provide a coated conductor having a surface coated with the polymer composition; and bringing the coated conductor into contact with the dielectric layer to provide a composite material comprising a conductor layer and a dielectric layer, wherein the coated surface of the coated conductor is in direct contact with the dielectric layer, and the dielectric layer comprises the same polymer composition as the coating composition.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an assembly comprising a multilayer conductor, preferably the assembly being a magnetic self-resonant structure.

[0008] The features described above, as well as other features, are illustrated by the following diagrams and detailed explanations.

[0009] The following diagram illustrates an exemplary embodiment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a top view showing a magnetic self-resonant structure (MSRS) coil having a patterned conductor bonded to a dielectric material. [Figure 2]This is a cross-sectional view showing an MSRS coil having multiple layers of patterned conductor structures bonded to a dielectric material. [Figure 3] This figure shows a coated conductor in contact with a dielectric layer to provide a composite material according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows first and second multilayer conductor structures that can be stacked to provide a final multilayer conductor structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] A significant problem in providing bonded conductor-dielectric structures is bonding the resin to the conductor. The inventors unexpectedly discovered that certain materials, when prepared according to this disclosure, can be used as dielectric layers in multilayer conductor structures. In particular, the inventors have advantageously developed a method for preparing multilayer conductors in which the conductor is pre-coated with a specific thin film layer. The presence of the thin film layer can act as an adhesive to improve the bonding between the conductor and the dielectric layer. A further advantageous feature is that the range of dielectric constants of the dielectric materials that have proven useful herein can modify the number of layers required to achieve electrical resonance at the target operating frequency. Thus, significant improvements are presented by this disclosure.

[0012] Accordingly, one aspect of the present disclosure is a multilayer conductor. The multilayer conductor includes conductor layers and dielectric layers on the conductor layers. When there are multiple conductor layers or dielectric layers, they are arranged in an alternating manner. In one embodiment, the multilayer conductor includes two conductor layers and a dielectric layer disposed between them. In one embodiment, the multilayer conductor includes two or more conductor layers and two or more dielectric layers, wherein the conductor layers and dielectric layers are arranged in an alternating manner.

[0013] The dielectric layer of the multilayer conductor comprises a polymer composition. The polymer composition has a dissipation rate of less than 0.001. The polymer composition includes cyclic olefin copolymers, transoctenomer rubbers, syndiotactic polystyrenes, polymethylpentene olefin copolymers, or combinations thereof.

[0014] In some embodiments, the polymer composition may optionally further include a reinforcing filler. The reinforcing filler can generally include any suitable reinforcing filler. In one embodiment, the reinforcing filler can have a high aspect ratio (e.g., an aspect ratio greater than 1:1, or greater than 5:1, or greater than 10:1, or greater than 20:1, or greater than 40:1). For example, the reinforcing filler can include nanofibers or nanoplates. Preferred reinforcing agents are non-conductive. Non-conductive particles are 1 × 10⁻⁶ 8 It is defined as having a resistance greater than ohms. In one embodiment, the conductive filler may be excluded from the core layer.

[0015] Exemplary reinforcing fillers may include, for example, mica, quartz, glass, calcium silicate, aluminum silicate, zirconium silicate, aluminum silicate, titanium dioxide, barium titanate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, ferric oxide, lithium aluminum silicate, silicon carbide, magnesium silicate, zirconium oxide, or combinations thereof. The reinforcing fillers may optionally be surface-treated to improve adhesion and dispersion with the core layer.

[0016] In one aspect, the reinforcing filler can preferably be a fibrous reinforcing filler, such as glass fiber. The glass fiber can include E, A, C, ECR, R, S, D, or NE glass, or the like. The reinforcing filler can be provided in the form of single fibers or multi-fibers, and can be used individually or in combination with other types of fibers, for example, by co-weaving or core / shell, side-by-side, orange type or matrix and fibril structures, or other methods known to those skilled in the art of fiber manufacturing. The fibrous filler can be supplied in the form of woven fibrous reinforcements such as rovings, 0-90 degree fabrics or the like, continuous strand mats, chopped strand mats, tissues, papers, and non-woven fibrous reinforcements such as felts or the like. In one aspect, when present, the reinforcing filler can include glass fiber.

[0017] When present, the reinforcing filler can be included in the polymer composition in an amount, for example, exceeding 0 to 30 weight percent, or 1 to 30 weight percent, or 5 to 25 weight percent, or 10 to 20 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polymer composition of each dielectric layer.

[0018] In a particular aspect, the dielectric layer includes a cyclic olefin copolymer. Cyclic olefin copolymers generally include repeating monomer units derived from cyclic olefins and non-cyclic olefins, or ring-opening polymers based on cyclic olefins. Exemplary cyclic olefins can include, without limitation, norbornene-based olefins, tetracyclododecene-based olefins, dicyclopentadiene-based olefins, and their derivatives. The derivatives can be alkyl (preferably C 1-20 alkyl, more preferably C 1-10 alkyl), alkylidene (preferably C 1-20 alkylidene, more preferably C 1-10 alkylidene), aralkyl (preferably C 6-30 aralkyl, more preferably C 618Aralkyl), cycloalkyl (preferably C 3-30 cycloalkyl, more preferably C 3-18 cycloalkyl), ether, acetyl, aromatic, ester, hydroxy, alkoxy, cyano, amide, imide, and silyl-substituted derivatives.

[0019] In one aspect, the cyclic olefin copolymer can have a melt volume flow rate of 1 to 50 cm 8 0>per 10 minutes. In one aspect, the cyclic olefin copolymer can have a glass transition temperature above 125 °C. In one aspect, the cyclic olefin copolymer can have a relative permittivity greater than 2 at 1 to 10 kilohertz (kHz). In one aspect, the cyclic olefin copolymer can have a dissipation factor less than 0.001 at 1 gigahertz (GHz).

[0020] In certain aspects, the cyclic olefin copolymer can be an ethylene / norbornene cyclic olefin copolymer. In one aspect, the cyclic olefin copolymer can have a melt flow of 40 to 50 grams per 10 minutes (g / 10 min) at 260 °C under a load of 2.16 kilograms, and a glass transition temperature of 270 to 275 °C determined according to ISO 11357-1. In one aspect, the cyclic olefin copolymer can have a melt volume flow rate of 1 to 10 cubic centimeters per 10 minutes (cm 3 / 10 min) at 260 °C under a load of 2.16 kilograms according to ISO 1133, and a glass transition temperature of 150 to 165 °C determined according to ISO 11357-1.

[0021] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include a combination of two or more cyclic olefin copolymers. For example, in one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include a first cyclic olefin copolymer and a second cyclic olefin copolymer. The first and second cyclic olefin copolymers may differ in terms of chemical composition, molecular weight, or combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the first and second cyclic olefin copolymers may exist in weight ratios of 1:99 to 99:1, or 5:95 to 95:5, or 5:95 to 50:50, or 5:95 to 20:80, or 5:95 to 15:85.

[0022] In a particular embodiment, the dielectric layer is subjected to a load of 2.16 kilograms at 260°C and heated from 5 to 15 cm² according to ISO 1133. 3 A first cyclic olefin copolymer having a melt volume flow rate of / 10 mins and a glass transition temperature of 135 to 150°C determined according to ISO 11357-1, and aged at 260°C for 5 to 15 cm under a load of 2.16 kg according to ISO 1133. 3 The first cyclic olefin copolymer may include a melt volume flow rate of 10 min / minute and a melt temperature of 80 to 900°C determined according to ISO 11357. In one embodiment, the first cyclic olefin copolymer may include an ethylene / norbornene copolymer. In one embodiment, the second cyclic olefin copolymer may be a cyclic olefin copolymer elastomer. In one embodiment, the second cyclic olefin copolymer may include an ethylene / norbornene copolymer.

[0023] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may contain a cyclic olefin copolymer in combination with a polymer different from the cyclic olefin copolymer. When present, the polymer different from the cyclic olefin copolymer has a dissipation rate (Df) of less than 0.001 and preferably includes transoctenomer rubber, syndiotactic polystyrene, polymethylpentene olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof. In a particular embodiment, the polymer different from the cyclic olefin copolymer may further include transoctenomer rubber as described below. When present together, the cyclic olefin copolymer and the polymer different from the cyclic olefin copolymer may be present in the dielectric layer in weight ratios of 10:90 to 90:10, or 50:50 to 90:10, or 60:40 to 80:20, or 65:35 to 75:25.

[0024] Exemplary cyclic olefin copolymers are commercially available, such as TOPAS 5013S-04, TOPAS 6013M-07, and TOPAS ELASTOMER E-140 from TOPAS Advance Polymers, APEL from Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., ZEONEX from Nippon Zeon Corporation, ZEONOR from Nippon Zeon Corporation, and ARTON from JSR Corporation.

[0025] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include trans-octenamer rubber. As used herein, trans-octenamer rubber refers to a resin prepared by polymerization of cyclooctene, in which one double bond is located between 2 units of eight repeating methylene groups. The term "trans" refers to the trans-cis ratio of the double bond in the resin. As used herein, trans-octenamer rubber has a high trans content, for example, a trans-cis ratio of at least 50:50, or at least 60:40, or at least 70:30, or at least 75:25, or 70:30 to 90:10, or 75:25 to 90:10, or 75:25 to 85:15. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the trans-cis ratio of the double bond affects the crystallinity of the polyoctenamer. Generally, the higher the trans content, the higher the crystallinity and therefore the higher the melting temperature. In one embodiment, the transoctenomer rubber may have a degree of crystallinity of at least 10%, or at least 20%, or at least 25%, or 20 to 40%, or 25 to 40%. The transoctenomer rubber may have a melting point of above 40°C, or above 50°C, or 50 to 100°C, or 50 to 80°C, or 50 to 60°C.

[0026] Processes for preparing polyoctenomer resins are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patents 3,798,185, 3,849,509, 4,095,033, 3,804,804, and 3,836,593, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the transoctenomer rubber may have a trans content of 70 to 90% or 75 to 85%, a molecular weight of 75,000 to 125,000 grams / mol (g / mol) or 90,000 to 110,000 g / mol, and a melting temperature of 50 to 60°C.

[0028] A transoctenomer rubber suitable for use in the dielectric layer according to this disclosure is commercially available, for example, under the trade name VESTENAMER from Evonik.

[0029] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may contain transoctenomer rubber in combination with a polymer different from the transoctenomer rubber. When present, the polymer different from the transoctenomer rubber has a dissipation rate (Df) of less than 0.001 and preferably includes cyclic olefin copolymers, syndiotactic polystyrene, polymethylpentene olefin copolymers, or combinations thereof. For example, the dielectric layer may contain a cyclic olefin copolymer and transoctenomer rubber. When present together, the cyclic olefin copolymer and transoctenomer rubber may be present in the dielectric layer in weight ratios of cyclic olefin copolymer:transoctenomer rubber of 10:90 to 90:10, or 50:50 to 90:10, or 60:40 to 80:20, or 65:35 to 75:25.

[0030] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include syndiotactic polystyrene. Syndiotactic polystyrene may be a syndiotactic polystyrene homopolymer or copolymer. As used herein, the term "syndiotactic" means, for example, 13This refers to polymers having a stereoregular structure of 80% or more syndiotactic, preferably 90% or more syndiotactic, or 95% or more syndiotactic, or 80 to 100% syndiotactic, or 90 to 100% syndiotactic, or 95 to 100% syndiotactic, as determined by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Typical polymerization processes for producing syndiotactic polystyrene are well known in the art and are described, for example, in U.S. Patents 4,680,353, 5,066,741, 5,206,197, and 5,294,685, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0031] Suitable syndiotactic polystyrenes are commercially available, including, for example, those sold by Idemitsu under the trademark name XAREC.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the dielectric layer may include syndiotactic polystyrene and a reinforcing filler, preferably glass fiber. When present, the reinforcing filler may be present in amounts of 0 to 30 weight percent, or 1 to 30 weight percent, or 5 to 25 weight percent, or 10 to 20 weight percent or more, based on the total weight of the syndiotactic polystyrene and the reinforcing filler, respectively.

[0033] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include a polymethylpenteneolefin copolymer. The polymethylpenteneolefin copolymer includes a 4-methyl-1-pentene / I-olefin random copolymer comprising 80 to 99.9% by weight, preferably 90 to 99.9% by weight, of a 4-methyl-1-pentene homopolymer or repeating units derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene, and 0.1 to 20% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight, of an I-olefin having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 6 to 20. The polymethylpenteneolefin copolymers described herein are unmodified. The term "unmodified" means that the polymer does not have a grafting agent that acts to modify its polymer matrix.

[0034] In the case of 4-methyl-1-pentene / I-olefin random copolymers, the I-olefin copolymerized with 4-methyl-1-pentene may be I-olefins having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 6 to 20, such as ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, 1-octadecene, or 1-eicosene. In copolymerization with 4-methyl-1-pentene, these I-olefins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0035] In one embodiment, the polymethylpenteneolefin polymer may have a melt flow rate of 0.1 to 200 g / 10 min (g / 10 min), preferably 1 to 150 g / 10 min (MFR: ASTM D1238, 260°C, 5.0 kg load). In one embodiment, the polymethylpenteneolefin polymer may have a dielectric constant greater than 1 at 1 megahertz (MHz), preferably 2 or more at 1 MHz. In one embodiment, the polymethylpenteneolefin polymer may have a dissipation rate of less than 0.001 at 1 GHz or less than 0.0005 at 1 kHz.

[0036] In certain embodiments, the polymethylpenteneolefin copolymer contains 90 to 95 percent by weight of repeating units derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene, based on the total weight of the copolymer, and C 16-18 It may be a 4-methyl-1-pentene / I-olefin random copolymer containing 5 to 10 weight percent of repeating units derived from olefins. The polymethylpenteneolefin copolymer may have a melt flow rate of 20 to 25 grams per 10 minutes, determined at 260°C under a load of 5 kilograms.

[0037] Exemplary polymethylpenteneolefin copolymers suitable for use in this disclosure include those available from Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. as TPXMX001, MX002, MX004, MX021, MX321, RT18, and DX845.

[0038] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may minimize or exclude polymers other than cyclic olefin copolymers, transoctenomer rubber, syndiotactic polystyrene, and polymethylpenteneolefin copolymers. For example, any suitable polymer other than cyclic olefin copolymers, transoctenomer rubber, syndiotactic polystyrene, and polymethylpenteneolefin copolymers may be present in the dielectric layer in amounts of 5% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, or 0.1% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the dielectric layer. In one embodiment, polymers other than cyclic olefin copolymers, transoctenomer rubber, syndiotactic polystyrene, and polymethylpenteneolefin copolymers may be excluded from the dielectric layer.

[0039] In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include a bridging portion at the interface between the dielectric layer and the conductive layer. For example, the bridging portion may penetrate from the interface into the dielectric layer up to 25 micrometers. In one embodiment, when present, the bridging portion may penetrate from the interface into the dielectric layer from 5 to 25 micrometers.

[0040] Advantageously, the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer can have significantly improved adhesive strength. For example, the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer can have a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI) (876 Newtons / meter).

[0041] The multilayer conductors described herein can generally have any preferred shape, including, for example, rectangular, tubular, cylindrical, "C"-shaped, or helically wound shapes. In one embodiment, the multilayer conductor may be helically wound for use in, for example, an inductor or transformer.

[0042] Figure 1 is a top view of a multilayer conductor (100) wound in a helical or coiled manner, in which patterned conductors (101) and dielectric material (102) are alternately layered. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a multilayer conductor coil including alternating layers of patterned conductors (201) and dielectric material (202). Although Figure 2 shows four layers of each material, it will be understood that the number of layers may be selected based on the identity and corresponding material properties of each layer, the thickness of each layer, and the end application. A suitable number of layers may be determined by those skilled in the art in accordance with the guidance of this disclosure.

[0043] A method for manufacturing a multilayer conductor represents another aspect of this disclosure. The method described herein can advantageously enable improved bonding between the conductor layer and the dielectric layer of a multilayer conductor, particularly between materials that do not typically bond well using previously known manufacturing processes.

[0044] The method according to this disclosure may be as shown in Figure 3. This method includes applying a coating composition to a conductive layer. The coating composition comprises a polymer composition and a solvent. The polymer composition has a dissipation rate (D) of less than 0.001. fThe polymer composition comprises a cyclic olefin copolymer, a transoctenomer rubber, a syndiotactic polystyrene, a polymethylpentene olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof. All variations of the polymer composition previously described for the dielectric layer are similarly applicable to the polymer composition of the coating composition of the present invention.

[0045] The solvent includes organic solvents capable of dissolving the polymer composition. A suitable solvent may be selected by those skilled in the art, based on the chemical composition of the polymer composition, in accordance with the guidance of this disclosure. Exemplary solvents for forming the coating composition may include, but are not limited to, aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as toluene, xylene, and the like. In one embodiment, the solvent is toluene.

[0046] The coating composition may contain polymer composition in amounts of 1 to 50% by weight, or 5 to 40% by weight, or 5 to 30% by weight, or 5 to 20% by weight, or 5 to 15% by weight, based on the total weight of the coating composition. Conversely, solvents may be present in the coating composition in amounts of 50 to 99% by weight, or 60 to 95% by weight, or 70 to 95% by weight, or 80 to 95% by weight, or 85 to 95% by weight, based on the total weight of the coating composition.

[0047] The coating composition may optionally further contain one or more additives, such as reactive monomers, free radical sources, or both. Reactive monomers and free radical sources may be included when crosslinking is desired after the coating composition has been deposited on the conductor.

[0048] The coating composition can be applied to the conductive layer by any suitable coating technique, including, for example, immersion coating, spin coating, drop casting, doctor braiding, slot die coating, and similar techniques. In certain embodiments, the coating composition can be applied to the conductive layer by slot die coating.

[0049] The conductor can be any suitable conductive material, preferably containing copper or aluminum. In one embodiment, the conductor contains copper.

[0050] After applying the coating composition onto the conductor (301), the method includes removing the solvent to provide a coated conductor. As shown in Figure 3, the coated conductor (304) comprises a conductor (301) having a surface at least partially coated with the polymer composition (305) (which is in the form of a thin layer after solvent removal). In one embodiment, the coated conductor may include a polymer composition disposed thereon to a thickness of 5 to 25 micrometers, for example, 6 to 25 micrometers.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the coated conductor (304) contacts the dielectric layer (302) to form a multilayer conductor (300) comprising a conductor layer (301) and a dielectric layer (302) (understood to include a combination of a polymer composition coating (305) and a dielectric layer (303), with the coated surface of the coated conductor in direct contact with the dielectric layer. In one embodiment, the coated conductor can be in contact with each side of the dielectric layer (i.e., two coated conductors in contact with the dielectric layer to form a sandwich structure). The coated surface of each coated conductor is in direct contact with the dielectric layer.

[0052] Preferably, the dielectric layer comprises the same polymer composition as the coating composition. Without wishing to be bound by theory, we are confident that the pre-coating step with the coating composition enables improved adhesion of the particular dielectric layers described herein. For example, the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer can have a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI).

[0053] In one embodiment, bringing a coated conductor into contact with a dielectric layer may include laminating the coated conductor onto the dielectric layer. This lamination can be carried out under heat and / or pressure for a sufficient amount of time to laminate the coated conductor onto the dielectric layer. For example, laminating a coated conductor onto a first dielectric layer may be done under pressures such as 50 to 200 pounds / square inch (PSI, 0.34 to 1.38 megapascals (MPa)), or 50 to 150 PSI (0.34 to 1.03 MPa), or 75 to 125 PSI (0.52 to 0.86 MPa), or 100 to 110 PSI (0.69 to 0.03 MPa). This may be done under a pressure of 76 MPa, at a temperature of 100 to 500°F (37.8 to 260°C), or 200 to 400°F (93.3 to 204.4°C), or 300 to 400°F (148.9 to 204.4°C), or 350 to 375°F (176.7 to 190.6°C), for a duration of 1 to 60 minutes, or 10 to 45 minutes, or 15 to 45 minutes, or 20 to 40 minutes, or 25 to 35 minutes.

[0054] This method may include repeating a coating step and a contact step to form a multilayer conductor having a predetermined number of layers, in which conductive layers and dielectric layers are arranged alternately.

[0055] In another advantageous feature, the multilayer conductor does not contain any material having a dielectric breakdown strength lower than that of the polymer composition (e.g., the dielectric layer). For example, the multilayer conductor preferably does not have an air gap between the conductor and the dielectric layer, which could degrade performance.

[0056] Referring to Figure 4, in one embodiment, the method described herein can provide a first multilayer conductor (400) comprising a first dielectric layer (402) having coated conductors (401, 501) disposed on either side of the first dielectric layer (i.e., forming a sandwich-type multilayer structure having layers arranged in the order of conductor (401)-first dielectric layer (402)-conductor (501)). A second multilayer conductor (500) can be provided comprising a second dielectric layer (502) having coated conductors (601, 701) disposed on each side of the second dielectric layer (i.e., forming a sandwich-type multilayer structure having layers arranged in the order of conductor (601)-second dielectric layer (502)-conductor (701)).

[0057] The first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer may be the same or different. The first multilayer conductor and the second multilayer conductor may be positioned on either side of the adhesive layer (403) and stacked together to form a multilayer stack (600) having layers arranged in the order of conductor-first dielectric layer-conductor-adhesive-conductor-second dielectric layer-conductor. It will be understood that any suitable number of multilayer conductors may be stacked together to provide a multilayer stack having a desired number of layers.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, the conductor can optionally be a patterned conductor having multiple features (404) on the outer surface of each conductor.

[0059] In one embodiment, a multilayer conductor may be formed by laminating first and second multilayer conductors (i.e., those shown in Figure 4). Laminating the first and second multilayer conductors can be done by laminating adjacent conductor layers (e.g., 501 and 601) using an additional dielectric material or adhesive (403). Preferably, the spacing between the conductor layers is maintained (i.e., in one embodiment, the thickness of the adhesive layer (403) may be no more than 10% of the thickness of the dielectric layers (402, 502)).

[0060] The multilayer conductors of this disclosure may be particularly useful in magnetic self-resonant structures (MSRS). Therefore, assemblies comprising multilayer conductors represent another aspect of this disclosure. Preferably, the assembly is an MSRS device.

[0061] In one embodiment, a multilayer conductor may be included in an assembly that includes a magnetic core adjacent to at least a portion of the multilayer conductor. The magnetic core can help contain a magnetic field. In one embodiment, a cylindrical magnetic core may be disposed at the center of a helical or coiled multilayer conductor. In one embodiment, the multilayer conductor includes a plurality of conductor layers and dielectric layers arranged concentrically around a common axis, with the conductor layers and dielectric layers arranged alternately. The magnetic core may further include a central support, the common axis forming loops around the central support and around the central axis of the multilayer conductor. In some embodiments, the multilayer conductor may be toroidal or cylindrical in shape. The assembly may further include an AC power source electrically coupled to at least one of the conductor layers of the multilayer conductor. Such an assembly may be particularly useful in wireless power transfer applications.

[0062] This disclosure is non-limiting and can be further illustrated by the following embodiments.

[0063] (Examples) (Examples 1-19) Evaluation of dielectric properties of polymer compositions The materials used in the following examples are described in Table 1.

[0064] Table 1 [Table 1]

[0065] The electrical properties of the materials listed in Table 1 were tested and are presented in Table 2. The electrical tests were performed at 1 MHz. Dielectric breakdown values ​​for each material are also presented in Table 2.

[0066] Table 2 [Table 2] * indicates a comparative example.

[0067] As can be seen in Table 2, the compositions from Examples 1 to 6 each have a D content of less than 0.001 at 1 MHz. f These materials were shown to be useful as dielectric materials, particularly for magnetic self-resonant structure (MSRS) devices operating at low frequencies.

[0068] (Examples 20-21) Method for joining a dielectric layer to a conductor COC1 material was used, further demonstrating methods for improving the adhesion of polymer materials to conductors (e.g., copper). Standard copper foil alone cannot be directly bonded to COC1. Adhesion was made possible using these materials and two methods.

[0069] (Example 20) In the first bonding method, to obtain an 8-micrometer thick film of COC1 on the surface of a copper foil, the copper foil was first coated with a diluted solution of COC1 in toluene containing 10 wt% solids using a knife-over-roll coating method. The COC1-coated copper was then bonded to a 20-mil (0.5 mm) thick layer of COC1 by lamination at a pressure of 100 PSI (0.69 MPa) and a temperature of 360°F (182°C) for 30 minutes. The resulting composite material exhibited a bond strength of 8.2 PLI (1.4 kilonewtons / meter), as determined using a 90-degree peel tester.

[0070] (Example 21) In the second bonding method, a diluted solution of the compounding composition in toluene containing 10 wt percent solids was coated onto the copper foil surface using a knife-over-roll coating method to obtain an 8-micrometer thick film of the compounding composition. The compounding composition comprises COC1, a free radical crosslinkable reactive monomer (e.g., bismaleimide, styrene-butadiene deblock or triblock copolymer, zinc dimethacrylate, a combination of thioenes such as 1,3,5-trialyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)trione (TATATO) or pentaerythritoltotetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP)), and a free radical source initiator (e.g., a peroxide, e.g., 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexine-3 (DYBP)) in a ratio of 8:2:0.1. Auxiliaries, such as triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC), may also be present. The compound-coated copper foil was bonded to a 20 mil (0.5 mm) thick COC (Chemical Oxide) layer by lamination at a pressure of 100 PSI (0.69 MPa) and a temperature of 360°F (182°C) for 30 minutes. The resulting composite material exhibited a bond strength of 10.8 PLI ​​(1.9 kilonewtons / meter), as determined by a 90-degree peel tester.

[0071] Composite materials were produced using these methods to test their bonding strength. If the pre-coating step is omitted, the adhesion between the copper and COC1 is insufficient (i.e., the copper does not adhere to COC1), and therefore, testable samples cannot be produced.

[0072] This disclosure further encompasses the following aspects:

[0073] Embodiment 1: A multilayer conductor comprising a conductor layer and a dielectric layer on the conductor layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a cyclic olefin copolymer, a transoctenomer rubber, a syndiotactic polystyrene, a polymethylpentene olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof, with a dissipation rate (D) of less than 0.001. fA multilayer conductor comprising a polymer composition having ), wherein the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer has a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI) (0.88 kilonewtons / meter).

[0074] Embodiment 2: The multilayer conductor according to Embodiment 1, comprising at least two conductor layers and a dielectric layer, wherein the conductor layers and the dielectric layers are arranged in an alternating manner.

[0075] Embodiment 3: The multilayer conductor according to Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises a reinforcing agent, preferably the reinforcing agent comprising a reinforcing filler, a glass fiber woven fabric, or a glass fiber nonwoven fabric.

[0076] Embodiment 4: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the dielectric layer includes a bridging portion at the interface between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer.

[0077] Embodiment 5: The multilayer conductor according to Embodiment 4, wherein the bridged portion penetrates from the interface into the dielectric layer up to a maximum of 25 micrometers.

[0078] Embodiment 6: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a cyclic olefin copolymer.

[0079] Embodiment 7: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a first cyclic olefin copolymer and a second cyclic olefin copolymer, preferably the first cyclic olefin copolymer and the second cyclic olefin copolymer are present in a weight ratio of 1:99 to 99:1 or 5:95 to 95:5.

[0080] Embodiment 8: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the dielectric layer includes transoctenomer rubber.

[0081] Embodiment 9: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a cyclic olefin copolymer and a transoctenomer rubber, preferably in a weight ratio of cyclic olefin copolymer to transoctenomer rubber of 10:90 to 90:10, or 50:50 to 90:10, or 60:40 to 80:20, or 65:35 to 75:25.

[0082] Embodiment 10: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the dielectric layer comprises syndiotactic polystyrene.

[0083] Embodiment 11: The multilayer conductor according to Embodiment 10, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises a reinforcing filler containing glass fibers, more preferably the reinforcing filler is present in an amount of 1 to 30 weight percent, or 5 to 25 weight percent, or 10 to 20 weight percent, based on the total weight of the dielectric layer.

[0084] Embodiment 12: A multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a polymethylpenteneolefin copolymer.

[0085] Aspect 13: A method for manufacturing a multilayer conductor according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, comprising: applying a coating composition comprising a polymer composition and a solvent to a conductor layer; removing the solvent to provide a coated conductor having a surface coated with the polymer composition; and contacting the coated conductor with a dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises the same polymer composition as the coating composition.

[0086] Embodiment 14: The method according to Embodiment 13, further comprising repeatedly coating and contacting to form a multilayer conductor having a predetermined number of layers, wherein conductive layers and dielectric layers are arranged alternately.

[0087] Embodiment 15: The method according to Embodiment 13 or 14, comprising applying a coating composition to a conductive layer by slot die coating.

[0088] Embodiment 16: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 15, wherein bringing the surface of a conductive layer coated with a polymer composition into contact with a dielectric layer includes laminating the conductive layer onto the dielectric layer.

[0089] Embodiment 17: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 16, wherein the coating composition further comprises a reactive monomer, a free radical source, or both.

[0090] Embodiment 18: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 17, wherein the conductor comprises copper or aluminum.

[0091] Embodiment 19: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 18, wherein the conductive layer comprises a polymer composition having a thickness of 6 to 25 micrometers.

[0092] Embodiment 20: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 19, wherein the multilayer conductor does not have an air gap between the conductor and the dielectric layer.

[0093] Embodiment 21: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 20, wherein the dielectric layer includes a bridging portion at the interface between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and the bridging portion penetrates from the interface into the dielectric layer up to 25 micrometers.

[0094] Embodiment 22: The method according to any one of Embodiments 13 to 21, wherein the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer has a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI) (0.88 kilonewtons / meter).

[0095] Embodiment 23: An assembly comprising a multilayer conductor according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12 and a magnetic core adjacent to at least a portion of the multilayer conductor.

[0096] Embodiment 24: The assembly according to Embodiment 23, wherein the multilayer conductor includes a plurality of conductor layers and dielectric layers arranged concentrically around a common axis, and the conductor layers and dielectric layers are arranged alternately.

[0097] Embodiment 25: The assembly according to Embodiment 24, wherein the magnetic core comprises a central support, and a common axis forms a loop around the central support and around the central axis of the multilayer conductor.

[0098] Embodiment 26: The assembly according to any one of Embodiments 23 to 25, wherein the multilayer conductor has a toroidal shape.

[0099] Embodiment 27: The assembly according to any one of Embodiments 23 to 25, wherein the multilayer conductor has a cylindrical shape.

[0100] Embodiment 28: The assembly according to any one of Embodiments 23 to 27, further comprising an AC power source electrically coupled to at least one of the conductor layers of a multilayer conductor.

[0101] Embodiment 29: The assembly according to any one of Embodiments 23 to 28, wherein the assembly is a magnetic self-resonant structure.

[0102] Compositions, methods, and articles may, by alternative means, include, consist of, or essentially consist of any suitable material, step, or component disclosed herein. In addition, or by alternative means, compositions, methods, and articles may be formulated to lack or substantially omit any material (or type), step, or component that is not otherwise necessary for achieving the function or purpose of the composition, method, and article.

[0103] All scopes disclosed herein encompass endpoints, which are independently combinable. “Combination” includes blends, mixtures, alloys, reaction products, and similar. “First,” “second,” and similar phrases do not indicate order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. Unless otherwise specified or clearly contradicted by the context, “a,” “an” (in the original English, but sometimes omitted), and “the” (in the original English, but sometimes omitted) do not indicate a quantitative limitation and should be interpreted as referring to both singular and plural. “Or” means “and / or” unless otherwise specified. Throughout this specification, where “one aspect” is described, this means that a particular element described in relation to an aspect is included in at least one aspect described herein, which may or may not be present in other aspects. The phrase “combinations thereof” as used herein includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the listed elements, and allows for the presence of one or more similar elements that are not named. Furthermore, it should be understood that the elements described may be combined in any preferred manner in various embodiments.

[0104] When an element is referred to as being "on top of" another element or "in contact" with another element, it will be understood, unless otherwise specified, that it may exist directly on the other element, or that there may be an intervening element between them. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on top of" another element or "in direct contact" with another element, there is no intervening element.

[0105] Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to schematic cross-sectional views of idealized embodiments. Such deformations from the shape of those illustrated are expected, for example, as a result of manufacturing techniques and / or manufacturing tolerances. Therefore, embodiments described herein should not be construed as being limited to specific shapes of regions as illustrated herein, but rather should include, for example, deviations of shape resulting from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may typically have rough and / or non-linear features. Furthermore, an illustrated acute angle may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are essentially schematic, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the exact shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of these claims.

[0106] Unless otherwise specified herein, all test standards are the most current standards in effect as of the filing date of this application, or, if priority is claimed, the filing date of the earliest priority application in which the test standard appears.

[0107] Unless otherwise noted, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. All cited patents, patent applications, and other documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between terms in this application and terms in any incorporated reference, the terms from this application shall prevail over the conflicting terms in the incorporated reference.

[0108] Compounds are described using their standard names. For example, any position not substituted by a indicated group is understood to be bonded as shown, or its valence filled by a hydrogen atom. A dash ("-") without a space between two letters or symbols is used to indicate a substituent bond. For example, -CHO is bonded through the carbonyl group.

[0109] While specific embodiments have been described, alternative forms, modifications, variations, improvements, and substantial equivalent forms may arise that are not currently foreseeable or unforeseeable to the applicant or those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the claims filed and any appended claims that may be modified are intended to encompass all such alternative forms, modifications, variations, improvements, and substantial equivalent forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 100 multilayer conductors 101 Patterned conductor 102 Dielectric Materials 201 Patterned Conductor 202 Dielectric Materials 301 Conductor 300 multilayer conductors 302 Dielectric layer 303 Dielectric layer 304 Coated Conductor 305 Polymer composition 401 Conductor 402 First dielectric layer 403 Adhesive layer 404 Features 500 Second multilayer conductor 501 Conductor 502 Second dielectric layer 600 multilayer stack 601 Conductor 701 Conductor

Claims

1. A multilayer conductor comprising a conductor layer and a dielectric layer on the conductor layer, The dielectric layer is a polymer composition having a dissipation rate (Df) of less than 0.001 and comprising a polymer composition containing a cyclic olefin copolymer, a transoctenomer rubber, a syndiotactic polystyrene, a polymethylpentene olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof. A multilayer conductor wherein the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer has a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI) (0.88 kilonewtons / meter).

2. The multilayer conductor according to claim 1, comprising at least two conductive layers, wherein the conductive layers and dielectric layers are arranged in an alternating manner.

3. The multilayer conductor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises a reinforcing agent.

4. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dielectric layer includes a bridging portion at the interface between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer.

5. The multilayer conductor according to claim 4, wherein the crosslinked portion penetrates the dielectric layer from the interface to a maximum of 25 micrometers.

6. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dielectric layer comprises the cyclic olefin copolymer.

7. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a first cyclic olefin copolymer and a second cyclic olefin copolymer.

8. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the dielectric layer includes the transoctenomer rubber.

9. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the dielectric layer comprises the cyclic olefin copolymer and the transoctenomer rubber.

10. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the dielectric layer comprises the syndiotactic polystyrene.

11. The multilayer conductor according to claim 10, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises a reinforcing filler containing glass fibers.

12. The multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the dielectric layer comprises the polymethylpenteneolefin copolymer.

13. A method for manufacturing the multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The steps include applying a coating composition containing the polymer composition and solvent to the conductive layer, A step of removing the solvent in order to provide the surface of the conductive layer coated with the polymer composition, The steps include bringing the surface of the conductive layer coated with the polymer composition into contact with the dielectric layer, Includes, A method comprising the dielectric layer containing the same polymer composition as the coating composition.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of repeating the coating step and the contact step in order to provide a multilayer conductor having a predetermined number of layers in which the conductive layer and dielectric layer are arranged in an alternating manner.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, comprising the step of applying the coating composition to the conductive layer by slot die coating.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the step of bringing the surface of the conductive layer coated with the polymer composition into contact with the dielectric layer includes the step of laminating the conductive layer onto the dielectric layer.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the coating composition further comprises a reactive monomer, a free radical source, or both.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the conductor comprises copper or aluminum.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the conductive layer comprises the polymer composition having a thickness of 6 to 25 micrometers.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the multilayer conductor does not have an air gap between the conductor and the dielectric layer.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the dielectric layer includes a bridging portion at the interface between the dielectric layer and the conductor layer, and the bridging portion penetrates from the interface into the dielectric layer by up to 25 micrometers.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, wherein the interface between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer has a peel strength of at least 5 pounds per linear inch (PLI) (0.88 kilonewtons / meter).

23. It is an assembly, A multilayer conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A magnetic core adjacent to at least a portion of the multilayer conductor and An assembly comprising:

24. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein the multilayer conductor includes a plurality of conductor layers and dielectric layers arranged concentrically around a common axis, and the conductor layers and dielectric layers are arranged alternately.

25. The assembly according to claim 24, wherein the magnetic core comprises a central support, and the common axis forms a loop around the central support and around the central axis of the multilayer conductor.

26. The assembly according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the multilayer conductor has a toroidal shape.

27. The assembly according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the multilayer conductor has a cylindrical shape.

28. The assembly according to any one of claims 23 to 27, further comprising an AC power source electrically coupled to the conductor layer of the multilayer conductor.

29. The assembly according to any one of claims 23 to 28, wherein the assembly is a magnetic self-resonant structure.

Images