Local Permittivity Research Articles

Wet-chemical porosification of LTCC substrates: Dissolution mechanism and mechanical properties

Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology has been successfully used in microelectronics, automotive, and telecommunication applications. However, their generally high permittivity is unfavorable for micromachined devices operated at high frequencies. To overcome this drawback, we have established a wet-chemical etching process as an effective approach which can be applied to LTCC substrates in their as-fired state and allows for a local permittivity reduction in regions of interest. Understanding the etching mechanism is essential for the selection of appropriate etching conditions to control the degree of porosification. Therefore, in the present work, we report on an effective approach to achieve a tailored porosification of LTCC substrates. Different characterization techniques such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and Raman Spectroscopy were used for investigation of the morphology and chemical composition of the substrates and thereby studying the etching mechanism. Furthermore, using dynamic-mechanical analysis at temperatures up to 550 °C, the stiffness behavior of the LTCC substrates after wet-chemical etching was investigated, and promising results for the applicability of such modified modules were obtained, even when operated at elevated temperatures up to 550 °C. Finally, a practical correlation between the mechanical properties and the relative porosification depth is presented, which is independent of etching conditions and the substrate thickness, and is valuable for optimization of the suitable depth of porosification for securing the desired mechanical properties. • Employing wet chemical etching for porosification of LTCC substrates for local reduction of permittivity. • Detail study on kinetics and mechanism of the etching process. • Tailoring porosification degree and the corresponding depth of porosification by a careful selection of etching parameters. • Achieving high surface quality which allows for a high-quality metal deposition for further applications. • Investigating the stiffness behavior of the substrates over a large temperature range up to 550 °C.

Surface plasmon induced enhancement in selective laser melting processes

PurposeSelective laser melting (SLM) is an advanced rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing technology that uses high power density laser to fabricate metal/alloy components with minimal geometric constraints. The SLM process is multi-physics in nature and its study requires development of complex simulation tools. The purpose of this paper is to study – for the first time, to the best of the authors’ knowledge – the electromagnetic wave interactions and thermal processes in SLM based dense powder beds under the full-wave formalism and identify prospective metal powder bed particle distributions that can substantially improve the absorption rate, SLM volumetric deposition rate and thereby the overall build time.Design/methodology/approachWe present a self-consistent thermo-optical model of the laser-matter interactions pertaining to SLM. The complex electromagnetic interactions and thermal effects in the dense metal powder beds are investigated by means of full-wave finite difference simulations. The model allows for accurate simulations of the excitation of gap, bulk and surface electromagnetic resonance modes, the energy transport across the particles, time dependent local permittivity variations under the incident laser intensity, and the thermal effects (joule heating) due to electromagnetic energy dissipation.FindingsLocalized gap and surface plasmon polariton resonance effects are identified as possible mechanisms toward improved absorption in small and medium size titanium powder beds. Furthermore, the observed near homogeneous temperature distributions across the metal powders indicates fast thermalization processes and allows for development of simple analytical models to describe the dynamics of the SLM process.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time the electromagnetic interactions and thermal processes with dense powder beds pertaining to SLM processes are investigated under full-wave formalism. Explicit description is provided for important SLM process parameters such as critical laser power density, saturation temperature and time to melt. Specific guidelines are presented for improved energy efficiency and optimization of the SLM process deposition rates.

Magnetic permeability in Fresnel’s equation

Magnetic permeabilities derived for infinite, periodic media are used in the Fresnel equation to calculate the reflection from corresponding semi-infinite media. By comparison to finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, we find that the Fresnel equation gives accurate results for 2D metamaterials which mimic natural magnetism, in a frequency range where the magnetic moment density dominates the O(k2) part of the total Landau–Lifshitz permittivity. For a 1D layered structure, or for large frequencies, the correspondence is poor. We also demonstrate that even if a medium is described accurately by a local permittivity and permeability, the Fresnel equation is not necessarily valid.

Local permittivity measurement of dielectric materials based on the non-contact force curve of microwave atomic force microscopy

We report a non-contact and quantitative method to measure the local permittivity of dielectric materials with a nanometer-scale spatial resolution. A theoretical model based on near-field approximation was developed to describe the effect of a microwave on the interaction between a probe and a sample. Under the non-contact mode, we successfully measured the force curves of Si, Al2O3, Ge, and ZrO2 using microwave atomic force microscopy and observed the variation in the force caused by the microwave. According to the established theoretical model, a quantitative non-contact evaluation of the local permittivity of dielectric materials was performed.

Bistatic Full-wave Radar Tomography Detects Deep Interior Voids, Cracks, and Boulders in a Rubble-pile Asteroid Model

Abstract In this paper, we investigate full-wave computed radar tomography (CRT) using a rubble-pile asteroid model in which a realistic shape (Itokawa) is coupled with a synthetic material composition and structure model. The aim is to show that sparse bistatic radar measurements can distinguish details inside a complex-structured rubble-pile asteroid. The results obtained suggest that distinct local permittivity distribution changes such as surface layers, voids, low-permittivity anomalies, high-permittivity boulders, and cracks can be detected with bistatic CRT, when the total noise level in the data is around −10 dB with respect to the signal amplitude. Moreover, the bistatic measurement setup improves the robustness of the inversion compared to the monostatic case. Reconstructing the smooth Gaussian background distribution was found to be difficult with the present approach, suggesting that complementary techniques, such as gravimetry, might be needed to improve the reliability of the inference in practice.

New Aspects of the Fluctuation-Electromagnetic Theory of Friction and Radiative Heat Exchange of Levine–Polevoi–Rytov in a System of Two Parallel Plates

It has been shown that the fundamental results obtained in the works by Levine, Polevoi, and Rytov (1980) and Polevoi (1990) adequately describe the rate of radiative heat exchange and dissipative frictional force in a system of two parallel plates in relative lateral motion. Within the framework of the Levine–Polevoi–Rytov theory, a new expression has been obtained for the force of fluctuation-electromagnetic friction of two plates in the terms of local dielectric permittivities and magnetic permeabilities of the plate materials.

Nanoscale linear permittivity imaging based on scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy

A nanoscale linear permittivity imaging method based on scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy (SNDM) was developed. The ∂C/∂z-mode SNDM (∂C/∂z-SNDM) technique described herein employs probe-height modulation to suppress disturbances originating from stray capacitance and to improve measurement stability. This method allows local permittivity distributions to be examined with extremely low noise levels (approximately 0.01 aF) by virtue of the highly sensitive probe. A cross-section of a multilayer oxide film was visualized using ∂C/∂z-SNDM as a demonstration, and numerical simulations of the response signals were conducted to gain additional insights. The experimental signal intensities were found to be in a good agreement with the theoretical values, with the exception of the background components, demonstrating that absolute sample permittivity values could be determined. The signal profiles near the boundaries between different dielectrics were calculated using various vibration amplitudes and the boundary transition widths were obtained. The beneficial aspects of higher-harmonic response imaging are discussed herein, taking into account assessments of spatial resolution and quantitation.

Inhomogeneously filled, cylindrically anisotropic metamaterial optical fiber

A theoretical study of a cylindrical anisotropic optical fiber filled inhomogeneously by an anisotropic metamaterial is carried out. Nanoporous alumina microtubes obtained recently by acid anodization techniques are physical manifestations of such optical waveguides. In these microtubes, the nanopores are aligned radially outward and the nanopore diameters vary radially, rendering the system inhomogeneous. By considering the radial variation of the nanopore size, a local permittivity tensor is obtained by a Maxwell-Garnett homogenization theory. The cylindrically anisotropic and inhomogeneously filled fiber is shown to support propagating modes of hybrid polarization character (EH or HE modes). The salient feature of this system is that the modal fields are extremely confined near the center of the waveguide due to the refractive inhomogeneity. The anisotropy plays a relatively minor role in the localization. The easy control over the dielectric anisotropy and the inhomogeneity made possible in the nanoporous alumina fiber makes it an attractive candidate for nanophotonic applications.

Новые аспекты флуктуационно-электромагнитной теории трения и радиационного теплообмена Левина, Полевого и Рытова в системе двух параллельных пластин

AbstractIt has been shown that the fundamental results obtained in the works by Levine, Polevoi, and Rytov (1980) and Polevoi (1990) adequately describe the rate of radiative heat exchange and dissipative frictional force in a system of two parallel plates in relative lateral motion. Within the framework of the Levine–Polevoi–Rytov theory, a new expression has been obtained for the force of fluctuation-electromagnetic friction of two plates in the terms of local dielectric permittivities and magnetic permeabilities of the plate materials.

Optimal-permittivity Dielectric Liners for a 4.7 T Transceiver Array

Placing dielectric pads adjacent to the imaging region is an effective method to increase the signal locally and also increase the radio frequency magnetic field homogeneity in magnetic resonance imaging. The use of local high permittivity pads is becoming more common, and this work focuses on the effect of larger dielectric pads on the transmit/receive performance of an array (e.g., coupling, efficiency and safety) having 8 channels, used to image a cylindrical phantom at 4.7T (200MHz). We investigate the effects of a dielectric liner surrounding the whole volume of interest both with and without an air gap. The simulations reveal that high permittivities are not recommended because they substantially degrade the longitudinal homogeneity, resulting in hot spots of specific absorption rate at the driven end of the array. Furthermore, high permittivities lead to dielectric resonances in the liner at frequencies close to the Larmor frequency, potentially degrading the performance of the array. Indeed, simulations and measurements confirm that a compromise must be made between improvements in field homogeneity and transmit performance, and that an optimal permittivity exists which is much lower than those commonly used in the literature. The optimal permittivity achieves minimal coupling (<−23dB) between array elements, exhibits an intrinsic electromagnetic impedance equal to the geometric mean of those of the coil former and phantom and can be realized with inexpensive materials. For this permittivity the performance with an air gap of thickness equal to that of the liner is equivalent to that without the air gap.

Electrochemical study of polyaniline coating electropolymerized onto AA2024-T3 aluminium alloy: Physical properties and anticorrosion performance

Chronoamperometry was used to deposit polyaniline (Pani) films onto AA2024-T3 aluminum alloy from a sulphuric acid electrolyte. Electropolymerization parameters of 1.00VSCE and 17min produced a Pani coating with the highest protection ability in 0.5M NaCl solution. Structure and morphology of the coating were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy under reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR) analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was applied to access the physical proprieties and the anticorrosion performance of Pani in 0.5M NaCl solution. Impedance spectra, collected at open circuit potential (OCP), exhibited, at high frequencies, a CPE contribution related to inhomogeneous water uptake in the coating which was analyzed by normal power-law distributions of the local resistivity and permittivity of coating. Finally, the Pani anticorrosion performance was discussed.

Analytical micelles containing amphiphilic aminoanthraquinone solvatochromic reporter receptor

The feasibility of using an amphiphilic photoactive derivative of aminoanthraquinone (C18) as both a local solvatochromic probe reporting its position in a micelle and a component of an analytical supramolecular unit in mixed micelles based on a nonionic surfactant, Triton X100, has been considered. The solvatochromism of the 1,8-anthraquinone derivative (C18) has, for the first time, been investigated. Dipole moments of C18 molecules have been determined within the frameworks of the Lippert–Mataga, Kawski, and Reichardt approaches. It has been found that the Δμ values, as calculated with the help of the first two approaches and the Onsager radius, which is, for C18, equal to 5.8 A, are markedly higher than the value obtained in terms of the Reichardt model. Possible reasons for discrepancies, which arise between experimental data and theoretical predictions when analyzing the solvatochromic properties of dyes, have been briefly discussed. C18 has been employed as an example to show that, for chromophores capable of donor–acceptor interactions, the use of protic solvents is more reasonable, because they ensure realization of a wider spectrum of interactions with a probe, among which the van der Waals interactions play an important role. Therewith, polarization effects, rather than charge separation, make a substantial contribution. In the case of amphiphilic chromophores, “enveloping” of polar groups with hydrocarbon chains decreases the local dielectric permittivity and the probability of intermolecular donor–acceptor interactions (hydrogen bonding). The character of the microenvironment of C18 reporter in micelles has been determined with the use of the “relative polarity parameter” proposed in this work. This parameter makes it possible to compare results obtained for different models of solvatochromism. It has been shown that the characteristics of C18 microenvironment in micelles correspond to those of water–alcohol solutions, with the chromophoric moieties of dye molecules located in the polar region of a micelle, this region being formed by hydrated ethylene-oxide chains of Triton X100. Polar receptor groups of C18, which face the aqueous phase, complete the hydrophilic shell of a micelle, while hydrocarbon chains of both components compose its hydrophobic core. This structure of the normal micelle and the markedly higher intensity of fluorescence of the micellar system than that of an aqueous C18 solution make possible the analytical determination of metal ions in aqueous media.

Analysis of thermocapacitive effects in electric double layers under a size modified mean field theory

Thermodynamics of the electric double layer has received renewed interest for its potential applications in low-grade waste heat harvesting and reversible heating/cooling in supercapacitors. We apply a size-modified mean field theory to analytically capture the influence on the pseudo-Seebeck coefficient S = ∂φ0/∂T)σ of different factors, including the electrode potential φ0, asymmetry in ion sizes, and ion concentration, under a fixed electrode surface charge σ. The pseudo-Seebeck coefficient is predicted to scale as φ0/T at low electrode potentials, but it reaches limiting values when the electrode potential exceeds crossover values due to the steric effect. The qualitative behavior changes substantially, however, when the temperature dependence of the permittivity is taken into account. The pseudo-Seebeck coefficient S is then predicted to scale linearly with φ0 even at high electrode potentials, significantly over-predicting the experimental values. This suggests a strong influence of phenomena not captured in the mean field theory, such as deviation of local effective permittivity from the bulk value, thermally facilitated adsorption or desorption of ions on electrode surfaces, and weakening of ionic associations with temperature.

Effect of Cyanide on Mitochondrial Membrane Depolarization Induced by Uncouplers.

In this work, it was found that the ability of common uncouplers - carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) - to reduce membrane potential of isolated rat liver mitochondria was diminished in the presence of millimolar concentrations of the known cytochrome c oxidase inhibitor - cyanide. In the experiments, mitochondria were energized by addition of ATP in the presence of rotenone, inhibiting oxidation of endogenous substrates via respiratory complex I. Cyanide also reduced the uncoupling effect of FCCP and DNP on mitochondria energized by succinate in the presence of ferricyanide. Importantly, cyanide did not alter the protonophoric activity of FCCP and DNP in artificial bilayer lipid membranes. The causes of the effect of cyanide on the efficiency of protonophoric uncouplers in mitochondria are considered in the framework of the suggestion that conformational changes of membrane proteins could affect the state of lipids in their vicinity. In particular, changes in local microviscosity and vacuum permittivity could change the efficiency of protonophore-mediated translocation.

Substrate Integrated Waveguide Filters Based on a Dielectric Layer With Periodic Perforations

This paper presents a novel class of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) filters, based on periodic perforations of the dielectric layer. The perforations allow to reduce the local effective dielectric permittivity, thus creating waveguide sections below cutoff. This effect is exploited to implement immittance inverters through analytical formulas, providing simple design rules for the direct synthesis of the filters. The proposed solution is demonstrated through the design and testing of several filters with different topologies (including half-mode SIW and folded structures). The comparison with classical iris-type SIW filters demonstrates that the proposed filters exhibit better performance in terms of sensitivity to fabrication inaccuracies and rejection bandwidth, at the cost of a slightly larger size.

Local Permittivity Evaluation Based on the Force Variation of Microwave Atomic Force Microscopy

Local Permittivity Evaluation Based on the Force Variation of Microwave Atomic Force Microscopy

Local Dielectric Property Detection of the Interface between Nanoparticle and Polymer in Nanocomposite Dielectrics.

The interface between nanoparticles and polymer matrix is considered to have an important effect on the properties of nanocomposites. In this experimental study, electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) is used to study the local dielectric property of the interface of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/TiO2 nanocomposites at nanometer scale. The results show that the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles leads to a decrease in local permittivity. We then carry out the finite element simulation and confirm that the decrease of local permittivity is related to the effect of interface. According to the results, we propose several models and validate the dielectric effect and range effect of interface. Through the analysis of DSC and solid-state NMR results, we find TiO2 nanoparticles can suppress the mobility of local chain segments in the interface, which influences the dipolar polarization of chain segments in the interface and eventually results in a decrease in local permittivity. It is believed the results would provide important hint to the research of the interface in future research.

Hybrid Monte Carlo and continuum modeling of electrolytes with concentration-induced dielectric variations.

The distribution of ions near a charged surface is an important quantity in many biological and material processes, and has been therefore investigated intensively. However, few theoretical and simulation approaches have included the influence of concentration-induced variations in the local dielectric permittivity of an underlying electrolyte solution. Such local variations have long been observed and known to affect the properties of ionic solution in the bulk and around the charged surface. We propose a hybrid computational model that combines Monte Carlo simulations with continuum electrostatic modeling to investigate such properties. A key component in our hybrid model is a semianalytical formula for the ion-ion interaction energy in a dielectrically inhomogeneous environment. This formula is obtained by solving for the Green's function Poisson's equation with ionic-concentration-dependent dielectric permittivity using a harmonic interpolation method and spherical harmonic series. We also construct a self-consistent continuum model of electrostatics to describe the effect of ionic-concentration-dependent dielectric permittivity and the resulting self-energy contribution. With extensive numerical simulations, we verify the convergence of our hybrid simulation scheme, show the qualitatively different structures of ionic distribution due to the concentration-induced dielectric variations, and compare our simulation results with the self-consistent continuum model. In particular, we study the differences between weakly and strongly charged surfaces and multivalencies of counterions. Our hybrid simulations conform particularly the depletion of ionic concentrations near a charged surface and also capture the charge inversion. We discuss several issues and possible further improvement of our approach for simulations of large charged systems.

Local thickness-dependent permittivity model for nonlocal bounded wire-medium structures

A local thickness-dependent permittivity is derived in closed form for bounded nonlocal wire-medium structures. The model takes into account spatial dispersion (as an average per length of the wires) and the effect of the boundary, and shows that an effective local model of a nonlocal medium is thickness dependent. The permittivity is comprised of a local bulk (Drude) term and a boundary- and thickness-dependent term, the latter including the effect of spatial nonlocality. Results are obtained for different wire-medium topologies which possess strong spatial dispersion, demonstrating good agreement with a nonlocal homogenization model and full-wave simulation results.

Molecular Dipole Osmosis Based on Induced Charge Electro-Osmosis

We propose a novel mechanism of producing a large nonlinear electrokinetic vortex flow around a nonconductive polar molecule in an electrolyte. That is, a large nonlinear electrokinetic slip velocity is derived by considering a local giant permittivity due to a molecular electric dipole moment with induced-charge electro-osmosis (ICEO). Different from the conventional ICEO theory, our theory predicts that a nonconductive biomaterial, such as a base of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule, has a significantly high ICEO flow velocity because of its large local permittivity. We consider that our findings will contribute markedly to promising biomedical applications.