Fluidic carbon nanotube device
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsEric R. Meshot, Steven Field Buchsbaum, Francesco Fornasiero
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Abstract
Fluidic and electrofluidic devices comprising carbon nanotubes and methods of making and using the same are provided. The carbon nanotubes may be densely bundled to span an aperture in a substrate. A polymeric coating over the substrate may contain reservoir(s) etched therein, the reservoir(s) in fluid connectivity with the carbon nanotubes. X-rays may be directed through the aperture and fluid-filled carbon nanotubes with x-ray analysis providing data on fluid structure and dynamics inside the carbon nanotubes.
Claims14
A fluidic device comprising:
- a substrate comprising a first face and a second face, which is opposite to the first face and is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness;
- a first aperture through the substrate;
- a first plurality of equi-length hollow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged in parallel to each other and within ten degrees of parallel to the first face of the substrate, each CNT comprising an open input end and an open output end;
- adjacent CNTs in contact with one another, wherein:
- the first plurality of CNTs is a t×w array, wherein t, which represents a number of CNTs arranged in a first direction perpendicular to the first face of the substrate, is 1 CNTs to about 5,000 CNTs, and w, which represents a number of CNTs arranged in a second direction parallel to the first face of the substrate, is about 10 CNTs to about 50,000 CNTs;
- a density of CNTs in the first plurality of CNTs is from about 5×1010 CNTs-cm−2 to about 5×1012 CNTs-cm−2;
- and
- the input ends are flush with each other;
- wherein from about 0.1% to 100% of the CNTs of the first plurality of CNTs span the first aperture.
A method of forming a fluidic device comprising:
- forming a first aperture though a substrate comprising a first face and a second face, which is opposite to the first face is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness;
- depositing on the first face of the substrate a plurality of equi-length, hollow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged in parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first face of the substrate;
- and
- realigning the plurality of CNTs, parallel to the first face of the substrate over the aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.