Modeling and simulations on the effects of shortwave energy on microparticle and nanoparticle filled composites

Abstract

This research focused on the experimentation and modeling of a series of micro- and nanoparticles in a variety of media and the response of those materials to terahertz (THz) electromagnetic waves. A series of experiments tested the response of aluminum microspheres, nickel microspheres and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in epoxy, liquid tape or SPR955 positive photoresist to THz radiation from 5 THz to 18 THz. The experimental results showed the absorption characteristics of the micro- and nanoparticles, as well as the media used. The Transfer Matrix Method was used to obtain values for the real and imaginary portions of the refractive index of the photoresist to be used in the finite element modeling of the composites. A series of finite element models was built using the experimentally derived data and simulated from 5 THz to 18 THz. The models tested various geometries and numbers of particles as well as different thicknesses of the media. The modeling determined that the absorption characteristics seen experimentally were a function of geometry and particle size. Accurate models can be built of aluminum micro particles in photoresist for the frequency spectrum between 10 and 18 THZ.