Low-κ′ dielectric properties of UV-treated bi-axially oriented polypropylene films

A 40 mu m multilayer bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film, was fabricated by the tenter process and its dielectric response was investigated after applying combined action of UV, humidity and heat. Dissipation factor (tan delta) and relative dielectric constant measurements were performed via the capacitance method for frequencies 20Hz-1 GHz. These results show that the relative dielectric constant (kappa') reduces towards ultra low values (1.8) with an increasing number of applied UV-condensation cycles without any subsequent increase in the dielectric loss. Having no added physical porosity and absence of fluorine atoms, the irradiated BOPP structures offer significant advantages over poly(tetrafluoroethylene) PTFE due to reduced polarization effects, lower dielectric constant values and chemical stability to the adjacent copper or aluminium conductors. Possible application fields are dry type high-voltage capacitors and insulation within electronic components.