Synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticle/SU-8 polymer based nanocomposite

A novel nanocomposite material was designed and synthesized for potential use in energy storage devices. It comprises of gold nanoparticles of diameter 5nm and SU-8 polymer. Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy techniques were used for the characterization of the nanocomposite material. The presented work represents a major first step toward creation of a superior metal-polymer nanocomposite solid-state dielectric for the development of a high energy and power density capacitor. A uniform dispersion of nanoparticles with low particle agglomerations and number of voids has been achieved. It is critical to reduce the number of voids through the nanocomposite film so the dielectric leakage can be minimized. Capacitor devices with nanocomposite material as dielectric exhibited higher dielectric constant values than the polymer only samples.