TiO₂nanoparticles modified polydimethylsiloxane with fast response time and increased dielectric constant

Polymer nanocomposite has shown great potential and impact on a broad range of techniques since its properties can be tailored by nano-fillers. This paper reports a polymer nanocomposite with enhanced electro-mechanical performance by mixing TiO 2 nanoparticles into polydimethylsiloxane. Nanocomposites with particle concentration up to 30 wt% were prepared. High energy ball milling and polyether-modified silicone dispersant were used to suppress the agglomeration and ensure a stable dispersion. Properties of the nanocomposites, i.e. elastic modulus, response time, dielectric constant and optical transmittance, were tuned by modifying the particle concentration. Optimized electro-mechanical properties were observed at 5 wt% TiO 2 particles. This nanocomposite was applied to a MEMS spatial light modulator, which was fabricated using micro-machining technology. The device was driven by a 200 V dc voltage and had a response time of 6 µs.