Electrical and thermal performances of epoxy-based micro–nano hybrid composites at different electric fields and temperatures

Abstract

This paper investigates the electrical and thermal properties of pure epoxy resin (EP) and its micro–nano hybrid composites (20 wt% micro-AlN fillers with 1 wt% and 3 wt% nano-Al2O3 fillers; 50% micro-AlN with 3% nano-Al2O3 fillers) for power electronic packaging applications. Electrical properties such as space charge distribution, electrical conductivity and surface potential decay are measured. The thermal performance of the fabricated samples is estimated using thermal analysis devices. The hybrid composite consisting of 20 wt% micro-AlN and 1 wt% nano-Al2O3 fillers exhibits the least space charge accumulation, higher thermal conductivity and better thermal stability. However, the excessive addition adversely affects space charge and electrical conductivity properties. The micro–nano hybrid composites significantly exhibit higher electrical conductivity than pure EP. The microfiller addition from 20 wt% to 50 wt% significantly improves the thermal conductivity of the EP. The reduced space charge injection and accumulation in the hybrid micro–nano composites are attributed to the enhancement of the injection barrier and reduction of the charge carrier traps in these materials. A theoretical mechanism of the charge dynamics inside the samples under different test conditions is proposed to support the experimental results.