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US 2003/0198812 A1Published application
Nanotube films and articles
AssigneeNantero, Inc.
InventorsThomas Rueckes, Brent M. Segal
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AssigneeNantero, Inc.
InventorsThomas Rueckes, Brent M. Segal
Estimating the term…
Nanotube films and articles and methods of making the same are disclosed. A conductive article includes an aggregate of nanotube segments in which the nanotube segments contact other nanotube segments to define a plurality of conductive pathways along the article. The nanotube segments may be single walled carbon nanotubes, or multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The various segments may have different lengths and may include segments having a length shorter than the length of the article. The articles so formed may be disposed on substrates, and may form an electrical network of nanotubes within the article itself. Conductive articles may be made on a substrate by forming a nanotube fabric on the substrate, and defining a pattern within the fabric in which the pattern corresponds to the conductive article. The nanotube fabric may be formed by growing the nanotube fabric on the substrate using a catalyst, for example, in which the catalyst is a gas phase catalyst, or in which the catalyst is a metallic gas phase catalyst. The nanotube fabric may be formed by depositing a solution of suspended nanotubes on the substrate. The deposited solution may be spun to create a spin-coating of the solution. The solution may be deposited by dipping the substrate into the solution. The nanotube fabric is formed by spraying an aerosol having nanotubes onto a surface of the substrate.
A conductive article comprising an aggregate of nanotube segments wherein nanotube segments contact other nanotube segments to define a plurality of conductive pathways along the article.
An assembly including a substrate and a conductive trace disposed on the substrate, wherein the trace includes nanotube segments that contact other nanotube segments to define a plurality of conductive pathways along the trace.
A conductive trace comprising an electrical network of nanotubes in contact with other nanotubes to define a plurality of conductive pathways along the trace.
An assembly including a substrate and a conductive trace disposed on the substrate, wherein the trace includes an electrical network of nanotubes in contact with other nanotubes to define a plurality of conductive pathways along the trace.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Backward citations are indexed for grants only.
Using elements whose operation depends upon chemical change: using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
Nanotechnology for materials or surface science
Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
Term end not estimated
1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to carbon nanotube films, fabrics, layers, and articles and in particular to making electrically conductive articles from carbon nanotube films, fabrics, or layers for a variety of uses in circuits or the like.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In the Drawing,
FIG. 1 illustrates a nanotube belt crossbar memory device according to certain embodiments of the invention;
FIGS. 2A-B illustrate two states of a memory cell according to certain embodiments of the invention;
New electromechanical memory arrays and methods for making same are disclosed in which electromechanical memory cells are created that operate analogously to the NTWCM devices disclosed in WO 01/03208, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, unlike the NTWCM devices disclosed in WO 01/03208, new ribbons or belts made from a matted layer of nanotubes or a non-woven fabric of nanotubes are used as an electrically conductive element. At points in this disclosure, the ribbons are referred to as traces or electrically conductive articles. In some instances, the ribbons are suspended, and in other instances they are disposed on a substrate. In some instances, they are used to deflect to certain states under electrical control, and in other instances they do not move and instead are used simply to carry an electrical current or voltage. The new nanotube belt structures are believed to be easier to build at the desired levels of integration and scale (in number of devices made) and the geometries are more easily controlled. The new nanotube ribbons are believed to be able to more easily carry high current densities without suffering the above-outlined problems experienced or expected with metal traces.
Under certain embodiments of the invention, electrically conductive articles may be made from a nanotube fabric, layer, or film. Carbon nanotubes with tube diameters as little as 1 nm are electrical conductors that are able to carry extremely high current densities, see, e.g., Z. Yao, C. L. Kane, C. Dekker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2941 (2000). They also have the highest known heat conductivity, see, e.g., S. Berber, Y.-K. Kwon, D. Tomanek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4613 (2000), and are thermally and chemically stable, see, e.g., P. M. Ajayan, T. W. Ebbesen, Rep. Prog. Phys. 60, 1025 (1997). However, using individual nanotubes is problematic because of difficulties in growing them with suitably controlled orientation, length, and the like. Creating traces from nanotube fabrics allows the traces to retain many if not all of the benefits of individual nanotubes. Moreover, traces made from nanotube fabric have benefits not found in individual nanotubes. For example, since the traces are composed of many nanotubes in aggregation, the trace will not fail as the result of a failure or break of an individual nanotube. Instead, there are many alternate paths through which electrons may travel within a given trace. In effect, a trace made from nanotube fabric creates its own electrical network of individual nanotubes within the defined trace, each of which may conduct electrons. Moreover, by using nanotube fabrics, layers, or films, current technology may be used to create such traces.
Nanotube Ribbon Crossbar Memories (NTRCM)