Capacitor with parallel nanotubes
AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC
InventorNicholas S. Bromer
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Abstract
Technologies are generally described for a capacitor device that includes parallel nanotubes. Such a capacitor device may include two parallel electrodes, each of which includes an array of nanotubes that extends from the surface of the respective electrode towards the other electrode. The nanotubes can be substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the electrode from which they extend. The space between the electrodes and the nanotubes can be filled with an electrolyte or dielectric material, for example, a solution of an electrolyte solute in a suitable solvent. Such a capacitor device can have high electrode surface area but can avoid pore effects, in comparison to high surface area porous electrodes which do not have interpenetrating electrodes.
Claims35
A capacitor device, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode;
- a first array of nanotubes conductively coupled to the first electrode, wherein the first array of nanotubes is configured to extend from the first electrode towards the second electrode;
- a second array of nanotubes conductively coupled to the second electrode, wherein the second array of nanotubes is configured to extend from the second electrode towards the first electrode;
- and
- a first plate that contacts the first electrode, the first plate having one or more vias, wherein the first array of nanotubes is configured to extend from the first electrode through the one or more vias in the first plate towards the second electrode.
A method of forming a capacitor device with parallel nanotubes, comprising:
- providing a first plate and a second plate, each plate having a plurality of vias coupling an inner surface and an outer surface of the respective plates;
- providing a plurality of nanotube initiators at the inner surfaces of the first and second plates;
- positioning the first plate in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the second plate, wherein:
- the inner surfaces of the first and second plates are substantially opposite;
- and
- each nanotube initiator at the inner surface of the first plate is substantially opposite to at least one of the plurality of vias in the second plate, and each nanotube initiator at the inner surface of the second plate is substantially opposite to at least one of the plurality of vias in the first plate;
- and
- growing nanotubes from the nanotube initiators such that a portion of the nanotubes extend from the inner surface of the first plate through the plurality of vias in the second plate, and another portion of the nanotubes extend from the inner surface of the second plate through the plurality of vias in the first plate.
A system for forming a capacitor device with parallel nanotubes, comprising:
- a plate manipulator;
- a nanotube growth chamber;
- and
- a controller coupled to the plate manipulator and the nanotube growth chamber, the controller configured to:
- position a first plate and a second plate in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other, wherein inner surfaces of the first and second plates are substantially opposite and each plate includes a plurality of vias coupling an inner surface and an outer surface of the respective plates;
- grow nanotubes from nanotube initiators on the inner surfaces of the first and second plates such that a portion of nanotubes extend from the inner surface of the first plate through the plurality of vias in the second plate and another portion of the nanotubes extend from the inner surface of the second plate through the plurality of vias in the first plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.