Enhancement of breakdown strength of polyetherimide laminates

Abstract

The breakdown strength of polymer laminates, polymer base films coated with thin layers of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), was investigated. The PVDF film was coated using a spin coating technique. The DC breakdown strength was studied using an ASTM standard and could be increased by as much as 20% for the polyetherimide laminates. It was found that this breakdown strength was insensitive to the thickness of the polymer base films and the PVDF films. Other dielectric properties such as the dielectric constant dissipation factor were also studied for the samples with and without PVDF coatings. Possible mechanisms for the enhancement of breakdown strength are discussed.<>