Gas-soluble nanovoided polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513259-B1
Application number	US-201916524631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2019
Priority date	Jul 29, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An actuator includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, the nanovoided polymer layer having a plurality of nanovoids dispersed throughout a polymer matrix, and a sealing layer at least partially encapsulating the nanovoided polymer layer, where the nanovoids include a fill gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator comprising:
a primary electrode;
a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode;
a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, the nanovoided polymer layer comprising a plurality of nanovoids dispersed throughout a polymer matrix; and
a sealing layer at least partially encapsulating the nanovoided polymer layer, wherein the nanovoids comprise a fill gas.

2. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises an elastomer.

3. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the sealing layer is configured to retain the fill gas within the actuator.

4. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the sealing layer is configured to inhibit the ingress of contaminants into the actuator.

5. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the sealing layer comprises an elastomer.

6. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the sealing layer comprises at least one of poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol), polyurethane, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly-chloro-trifluoroethylene, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, chloro-fluoropolymers, and aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamides.

7. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein a difference in Hildebrand solubility parameter between the fill gas and the sealing layer is at least 5 MPa 1/2 .

8. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein a mechanical stiffness of the sealing layer is less than a mechanical stiffness of the nanovoided polymer layer.

9. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the fill gas comprises at least one of Ar, N 2 , Kr, Xe, O 2 , SF 6 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 , and air.

10. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein a difference in Hildebrand solubility parameter between the nanovoided polymer and the fill gas is less than 2 MPa 1/2 .

11. The actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a gas reservoir at least partially encapsulated by the sealing layer.

12. The actuator of claim 11 , further comprising a layer of getter material located within the gas reservoir.

13. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the polymer matrix is directly exposed to the gas reservoir.

14. An actuator comprising:
a primary electrode;
a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode;
a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode;
a fill gas located within nanovoids of the nanovoided polymer layer;
a hermetic sealing layer at least partially encapsulating the nanovoided polymer layer; and
a gas reservoir located proximate to the nanovoided polymer layer.

15. The actuator of claim 14 , wherein the sealing layer comprises an elastomer.

16. The actuator of claim 14 , wherein the sealing layer comprises at least one of poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol), polyurethane, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly-chloro-trifluoroethylene, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, chloro-fluoropolymers, and aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamides.

17. The actuator of claim 14 , wherein the nanovoided polymer layer and the gas reservoir are encapsulated by the sealing layer.

18. A method comprising:
forming an actuator comprising a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode;
introducing a fill gas into nanovoids of the nanovoided polymer layer;
forming a sealing layer over the nanovoided polymer layer.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein introducing the fill gas into the nanovoids comprises:
placing the actuator within a vacuum processing chamber prior to forming the sealing layer;
evacuating the vacuum processing chamber; and
introducing the fill gas into the vacuum processing chamber.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the sealing layer is formed within the vacuum processing chamber after introducing the fill gas into the vacuum processing chamber.

Assignees

• Meta Platforms Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ye Sheng
• Wells Spencer Allan
• Ouderkirk Andrew John
• Diest Kenneth
• Landig Renate Eva Klementine

Classifications

• C09D131/04

  Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl acetate · CPC title

• C09D127/16

  Homopolymers or copolymers of vinylidene fluoride · CPC title

• C09D127/12

  containing fluorine atoms · CPC title

• C09D129/04 Primary

  Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids · CPC title

• C08L27/16

  Homopolymers or copolymers or vinylidene fluoride · CPC title