Low-Cost Quasi-Amorphous Carbon Dielectrics for Pulsed Power Capacitors

As our military continues to evolve and become more reliant on highly sophisticated equipment, the need for advanced electronics to support their operation is becoming increasingly more important. Clearly, one of the most important transformations is in the area of weapons systems. In fact, the U.S. Military is developing high energy density, pulse power capacitors to enable all-electric weapons with a goal of one day developing only such systems. The capacitors are required building blocks for pulse forming networks (PFNs), which convert prime electrical energy into short pulses needed to energize loads. Some of the current key research objectives for such capacitors include thin, flexible dielectrics with a high voltage breakdown strength (> 20KV/mil), a dielectric constant greater than 2, and low losses (0.1%). Enhanced processing capabilities with potential for radical improvements in materials properties are urgently needed for the development of advanced capacitors. The proposed SBIR program would make ultrahigh performance dielectrics available through an elegant, patent-protected approach to produce synergetic diamond-graphene quasi-amorphous (QUASAMT) materials. These materials have a high dielectric constant, high thermal conductivity, are extremely strong, can be deposited as thin as 5 nanometers, and can be produced at low cost using standard vacuum deposition equipment.