Electrically and thermally conductive carbon nanotube or nanofiber array dry adhesive

• US 20060068195A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Atlas Scientific LLC, Regents of the University of California (University of California), USA As Represented By The Administrator Of The NASA
• Original Assignee: USA As Represented By The Administrator Of The NASA
• Inventors: Kashani, Ali, Majumdar, Arun, Zhao, Yang, Delzeit, Lance, Tong, Tao
• Application Number:
  US11/133,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20060068195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/323
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/00 Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/373 Cooling facilitated by selection of materials for the device or materials for thermal expansion adaptation, e.g. carbon
• 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 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles

Abstract

A carbon nanostructure adhesive for adhering two surfaces together, including: an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a first surface; and a second surface positioned adjacent to the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures such that the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures adhere the first and second surfaces together by van der Waals forces.

Claims

1. A method of adhering two surfaces together with a carbon nanostructure adhesive, comprising:

forming an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a first surface; and

positioning a second surface adjacent to the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures such that the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures adhere the first and second surfaces together.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures adhere the first and second surfaces together by van der Waals forces between the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures and the second surface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on the second surface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures adhere the first and second surfaces together by van der Waals forces between the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on each of the first and the second surfaces.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanotubes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanofibers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of less than 30 μ

m.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of between 5 to 10 μ

m.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures are formed onto the first surface with a density of between 10¹⁰/cm² to 10¹¹/cm².

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures are formed onto the first surface by chemical vapor deposition.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures are attached to the first surface by an underlayer therebetween, and wherein the underlayer comprises aluminum.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanostructures are attached to the first surface by an underlayer therebetween, and wherein the underlayer comprises molybdenum.

39. The method of claim 4, wherein the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on each of the first and the second surfaces interpenetrate one another.

13. A method of forming a two-sided carbon nanostructure adhesive structure, comprising:

forming an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a first surface of an object; and

forming an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a second surface of the object, wherein the first and second surfaces are opposite sides of the object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the object is a wafer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the object is a membrane.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanotubes.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanofibers.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of less than 30 μ

m.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of between 5 to 10 μ

m.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the carbon nanostructures are formed onto the first surface with a density of between 10¹⁰/cm² to 10¹¹/cm².

21. A carbon nanostructure adhesive structure, comprising:

a first object;

an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a surface of the first object;

a second object; and

an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a surface of the second object, wherein the surfaces of the first and second objects are positioned adjacent to one another such that the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on the surface of the first object adhere to the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on the surface of the second object by van der Waals forces.

22. The structure of claim 21, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanotubes.

23. The structure of claim 21, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanofibers.

24. The structure of claim 21, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of less than 30 μ

m.

25. The structure of claim 24, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of between 5 to 10 μ

m.

26. The structure of claim 21, wherein the carbon nanostructures on the surfaces of the first and second objects with a density between 10¹⁰/cm² to 10¹¹/cm².

27. The structure of claim 21, wherein the carbon nanostructures are attached to the first surface by an underlayer therebetween, and wherein the underlayer comprises aluminum.

28. The structure of claim 21, wherein the carbon nanostructures are attached to the first surface by an underlayer therebetween, and wherein the underlayer comprises molybdenum.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein the vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on each of the first and the second objects interpenetrate one another.

29. A two-sided carbon nanostructure adhesive structure, comprising:

an object;

an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a first surface of the object; and

an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a second surface of the object, wherein the first and second surfaces are opposite sides of the object.

30. The structure of claim 29, wherein the object is a wafer.

31. The structure of claim 29, wherein the object is a membrane.

32. The structure of claim 29, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanotubes.

33. The structure of claim 29, wherein the carbon nanostructures are carbon nanofibers.

34. The structure of claim 29, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of less than 30 μ

m.

35. The structure of claim 34, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a tower height of between 5 to 10 μ

m.

36. The structure of claim 29, wherein the carbon nanostructures have a density of between 10¹⁰/cm² to 10¹¹/cm².

37. The structure of claim 29, wherein the carbon nanostructures are each attached to the first and second surfaces by an underlayer therebetween, and wherein the underlayer comprises aluminum.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the carbon nanostructures are each attached to the first and second surface by an underlayer therebetween, and wherein the underlayer comprises molybdenum.