Electrically Responsive Composite Material Quantum Tunneling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrically responsive composite materials for transducer applications face challenges such as electrical noise introduction, limited flowability, and inadequate pressure sensitivity due to the presence of void-bearing particles, which restrict their deployment in devices requiring a flowable polymer liquid.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a flowable polymer liquid with acicular electrically conductive particles and dielectric particles of varying sizes, where the dielectric particles are dispersed between acicular particles to facilitate quantum tunnelling and enhance mechanical integrity, allowing the material to transition from a liquid to a resilient solid form, thereby improving sensitivity and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If void-bearing particles with protrusions are used to provide first touch sensitivity, then pressure sensitivity is improved, but electrical noise increases and flowability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes void-bearing particles with protrusions from the composite material formulation. Instead, it uses only acicular conductive particles and dielectric particles, thereby eliminating the source of electrical noise while maintaining pressure sensitivity through the acicular particle arrangement and quantum tunneling mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the particle morphology parameters by using acicular (needle-shaped) particles with specific aspect ratios instead of void-bearing particles with protrusions. This parameter change maintains the ability to concentrate electric fields and enable quantum tunneling while eliminating the harmful electrical noise associated with void-bearing structures.
2Reliability
If void-bearing particles are used to enable field-assisted quantum tunnelling, then electrical conduction is improved, but the material cannot be deployed as a flowable polymer liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the void-bearing particle component from the formulation, retaining only acicular conductive particles and dielectric particles. This simplification allows the polymer matrix to remain flowable while still achieving electrical conduction through quantum tunneling between the acicular particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system consisting of acicular conductive particles, dielectric particles, and polymer matrix. This composite structure enables both flowability (from the polymer matrix) and electrical conduction (through quantum tunneling between acicular particles), resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
3Adaptability or versatility
If acicular conductive particles are used alone without void-bearing particles, then flowability is improved, but first touch sensitivity becomes inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges acicular conductive particles with dielectric particles in a specific configuration where dielectric particles are positioned between adjacent acicular particles. This combination enhances the electric field concentration effect and quantum tunneling probability, thereby improving first touch sensitivity while maintaining the flowability provided by the acicular particle morphology.
Solution Approach 2:
The dielectric particles act as intermediaries between acicular conductive particles, positioning themselves in the gaps between adjacent acicular particles. This intermediary arrangement enhances the electric field concentration and facilitates quantum tunneling, improving first touch sensitivity without compromising flowability.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If non-conductive polymer is mixed with acicular conductive particles and no void-bearing particles, then electrical noise is reduced, but manufacturing as flowable polymer liquid becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent formulates a composite material system comprising acicular conductive particles, dielectric particles, and non-conductive polymer matrix. This composite structure achieves both low electrical noise (by eliminating void-bearing particles) and good flowability (through the polymer matrix and particle morphology), resolving the manufacturing difficulty.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The combination of acicular and dielectric particles results in a transducer material with enhanced first-touch sensitivity, reduced electrical noise, improved repeatability, and increased mechanical stability, enabling effective deployment in various applications.
Implementation Method 1
Electrically conductive acicular particles which facilitate the conduction of electricity by quantum tunnelling
Implementation Method 2
allows the material to transition from a liquid to a resilient solid form
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An electrically responsive composite material is disclosed, along with a method of producing an electrically responsive composite material, a transducer having a substrate for supporting a flowable polymer liquid and a method of fabricating a transducer. The electrically responsive composite material produced is configurable for application in a transducer. The method includes the steps of receiving the flowable polymer liquid and introducing electrically conductive acicular particles (1501, 1502) to facilitate the conduction of electricity by quantum tunneling. Dielectric particles (1505, 1506) are added of a size relative to the acicular particles such that a plurality of these dielectric particles are dispersed between adjacent acicular particles.