Scalable nanotube fabrics and methods for making same

• US 10,654,718 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sally Smith, ZEON Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nantero Incorporated
• Inventors: Sen, Rahul, Smith, Billy, Kocab, J. Thomas, Sivarajan, Ramesh, Sites, Peter, Rueckes, Thomas, Roberts, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Steele, Jennifer A
• Application Number:
  US14/033,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20150086771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 428221, 4282921, 4282991, 428364, 428367, 428903, 442179, 442265, 442349, 442354, 977742-752, 977842-848
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/176 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4242 Carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/732 by fluid current, e.g. air-lay
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 13/50 Carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 15/02 characterised by configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/52 Additives of definite length or shape
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0094 Switches making use of nanoelectromechanical systems [NEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53276 containing carbon, e.g. fullerenes superconducting fullerenes H10N60/853
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component

Abstract

The present disclosure provides scalable nanotube fabrics and methods for controlling or otherwise adjusting the nanotube length distribution of a nanotube application solution in order to realize scalable nanotube fabrics. In one aspect of the present disclosure, one or more filtering operations are used to remove relatively long nanotube elements from a nanotube solution until nanotube length distribution of the nanotube solution conforms to a preselected or desired nanotube length distribution profile. In another aspect of the present disclosure, a sono-chemical cutting process is used to break up relatively long nanotube elements within a nanotube application solution into relatively short nanotube elements to realize a pre-selected or desired nanotube length distribution profile.

Claims

1. A scalable nanotube device, comprising:

a first material layer;

a nanotube fabric disposed over and above said first material layer, said nanotube fabric having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one sidewall, the distance between said top surface of said nanotube fabric and said bottom surface of said nanotube fabric defining a thickness for said nanotube fabric;

a second material layer disposed over and above said nanotube fabric and horizontally aligned with said first material layer;

wherein said thickness of said nanotube fabric is sufficient to prevent said first material layer from contacting said second material layer;

wherein said nanotube fabric comprises a plurality of nanotube elements, each of said plurality of nanotube elements having a first end and a second end; and

wherein said plurality of nanotube elements within said nanotube fabric has a preselected nanotube length distribution profile selected to substantially prevent said plurality of nanotube elements from having both a first end and a second end in physical contact with said at least one sidewall.

2. The scalable nanotube device of claim 1 wherein said nanotube fabric conforms to the geometrical dimensions of said first material layer.

3. The scalable nanotube device of claim 1 wherein said first material layer and said second material layer are conductive elements.

4. The scalable nanotube device of claim 1 wherein said nanotube fabric provides an adjustable resistive path between said first material layer and said second material layer.

5. The scalable nanotube device of claim 1 wherein said nanotube elements are carbon nanotubes.

6. The scalable nanotube device of claim 1 wherein said nanotube fabric has a nanotube length distribution profile such that the average length of said plurality of nanotubes falls within one of the list of ranges consisting of 1 μ

m to 5 μ

m, 0.5 μ

m to 1 μ

m, 0.1 μ

m to 0.5 μ

m, 50 nm to 100 nm, 20 nm to 50 nm, 10 nm to 20 nm, and 5 nm to 10 nm.

7. The scalable nanotube device of claim 1 wherein said nanotube fabric has a nanotube length distribution profile such that the lengths of said plurality of nanotube elements have a preselected standard deviation.

8. The scalable nanotube device of claim 7 wherein said preselected standard deviation is on the order of 0.3 μ

m, 190 nm, 175 nm, 100 nm, or 60 nm.