Theoretical and Experimental Studies of New Polymer-Metal High-Dielectric Constant Nanocomposites

High-dielectric-constant (high-K) gate materials are important for the needs of electronics industry. Most polymers have dielectric constant in the range 2 $<$ K $<$ 5; thus to create materials with K $>$ 10 it is necessary to combine polymers with ceramic or metal nanoparticles. Several formulations based on functionalized Au-nanoparticles (R $\sim$ 5 -— 10 nm) and PMMA matrix polymer are prepared. Nanocomposite films are subsequently cast from solution. We study the morphology of those nanocomposites using theoretical (Self-Consistent Mean-Field Theory [SCMFT]) and experimental (Transmission Electron Microscopy [TEM]) techniques. Good qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is found. The study validates the utility of SCMFT as screening tool for the preparation of stable (or at least metastable) polymer/nanoparticle mixtures.