Nanoparticle production and corresponding structures

• US 20060147369A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Kambe, Nobuyuki, Chiruvolu, Shivkumar, Kumar, Sujeet, Horne, Craig R., Bi, Xiangxin, Mosso, Ronald J., DeMascarel, Pierre J., Gardner, James T., Lynch, Robert B., McGovern, William E.
• Application Number:
  US11/357,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20060147369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/594.170
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/121 Coherent waves, e.g. laser beams lasers per se H01S3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1215 Single reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1224 Form of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1239 Means for feeding and evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1284 Intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1293 Single source
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/002 Nozzle-type elements nozzle-type reactors B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/052 characterised by a mixture of particles of different sizes or by the particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/054 Nanosized particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2202/11 Use of irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/30 with decomposition of metal compounds, e.g. by pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 25/45 containing plural metal, or metal and ammonium
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/956 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/977 Preparation from organic compounds containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/113 Silicon oxides; Hydrates thereof preparing monoxide by reduction of siliceous material C01B33/182
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 19/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 23/005 Alkali titanates
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 23/047 Titanium dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 31/00 : Compounds of vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 31/02 : Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 45/006 : Compounds containing, besides manganese, two or more other elements, with the exception of oxygen or hydrogen manganates, manganites or permanganates C01G45/12
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 45/02 : Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 45/1242 : of the type [Mn2O4]-, e.g. LiMn2O4, Li[MxMn2-x]O4
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 49/00 : Compounds of iron
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 49/04 : Ferrous oxide [FeO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 49/06 : Ferric oxide [Fe2O3]
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 51/00 : Compounds of cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 51/42 : containing alkali metals, e.g. LiCoO2
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 53/42 : containing alkali metals, e.g. LiNiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 9/02 : Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/54 : one element only
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/72 : by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/03 : obtained by SEM
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/04 : obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/51 : Particles with a specific particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/52 : highly monodisperse size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/64 : Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/12 : Surface area
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/40 : Electric properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Methods are described that have the capability of producing submicron/nanoscale particles, in some embodiments dispersible, at high production rates. In some embodiments, the methods result in the production of particles with an average diameter less than about 75 nanometers that are produced at a rate of at least about 35 grams per hour. In other embodiments, the particles are highly uniform. These methods can be used to form particle collections and/or powder coatings. Powder coatings and corresponding methods are described based on the deposition of highly uniform submicron/nanoscale particles.

Claims

1. A method for producing product particles comprising an inorganic composition wherein the product particles have an average particle size of no more than about 75 nm, the method comprising reacting at least one precursor compound to produce the product particles at a rate of at least about 35 grams per hour.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product particles have an average particle size of no more than about 49 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the product particles have an average particle size from about 3 nm to about 24 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the particles comprise effectively no particles with a diameter greater than about 4 times the average particle diameter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the product particles have a distribution of particle sizes in which at least about 95 percent of the particles have a diameter greater than about 60 percent of the average diameter and less than about 140 percent of the average diameter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the inorganic composition comprises a transition metal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the transition metal comprises a rare earth metal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the inorganic composition comprises a metalloid element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the inorganic composition comprises a plurality of metal/metalloid elements.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of metal/metalloid elements comprises at least about 3 metal/metalloid elements.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising forming a reactant flow, wherein the reacting the at least one precursor compound is performed within a reaction chamber and wherein the reactant flow flows through a reactant inlet nozzle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the reactant inlet nozzle comprises an inlet opening that is elongated with an aspect ratio of at least about 5.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the reacting the at least one precursor compound comprises irradiating the reactant flow with electromagnetic radiation to drive a chemical reaction with energy absorbed from the electromagnetic radiation.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises infrared light.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises a laser beam.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the reacting the at least one precursor compound is performed within a reaction chamber and wherein the at least one precursor compound flows through a reactant inlet nozzle and wherein the reactant inlet nozzle comprises an inlet opening that is elongated with a length dimension that is at least about 1.5 inches, wherein the laser beam is oriented to propagate along the elongated direction of the inlet opening to irradiate the entire length of the flow from the inlet opening.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary particles are substantially unfused resulting in an average particle size and particle size distribution approximately equal respectively to the average primary particle size and primary particle size distribution.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising collecting the particles in a collector.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the reacting the at least one precursor compound is performed in a reaction chamber enclosed from the ambient atmosphere and wherein the collector provides for harvesting the particles from the reaction chamber without terminating the reacting of additional amounts of the at least one precursor compound.

20. The method of claim 1 comprising forming a reactant flow and wherein the reacting the at least one precursor compound takes place in a reaction zone to form a flow comprising the product particles, the method further comprising depositing at least a portion of the product particles onto a substrate from a flow from the reaction zone to form a powder coating.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the reacting at least one precursor compound is performed within a reaction chamber isolated from the ambient atmosphere and wherein the depositing at least a portion of the particles onto a substrate is performed within the reaction chamber.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the powder coating comprises a network formed from fused primary particles.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the product particles are produced at a rate of at least about 100 grams per hour.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the product particles are produced at a rate of at least about 1000 grams per hour.

25. A collection of particles formed by the method of claim 1.

26. A device comprising a collection of particles of claim 25.

27. A powder coating formed by depositing particles on a substrate surface wherein the particles are formed as product particles using the method of claim 1.

28. A device comprising a powder coating of claim 27.

29. A method for producing product particles comprising an inorganic composition wherein the product particles have an average particle size of no more than about 500 nm, the particles having effectively no particles with a diameter greater than about 4 times the average particle size, the method comprising reacting at least one precursor compound to produce the product particles at a rate of at least about 35 grams per hour.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein effectively no particles have a diameter greater than about 3 times the average diameter.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the product particles have a distribution of particle sizes in which at least about 95 percent of the particles have a diameter greater than about 60 percent of the average diameter and less than about 140 percent of the average diameter.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the product particles have an average particle size of no more than about 95 nm.

33. A collection of particles formed by the method of claim 29.

34. A device comprising the collection of particles of claim 33.

35. A powder coating formed by depositing particles on a substrate surface wherein the particles are formed as product particles using the method of claim 29.

36. A device comprising the powder coating of claim 35.

37. A method for producing product particles comprising an inorganic composition wherein the product particles have an average particle size of no more than about 500 nm, wherein the product particles have a distribution of particle sizes in which at least about 95 percent of the particles have a diameter greater than about 60 percent of the average diameter and less than about 140 percent of the average diameter, the method comprising reacting at least one precursor compound to produce the product particles at a rate of at least about 35 grams per hour.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the primary particles are substantially unfused resulting in an average particle size and particle size distribution approximately equal respectively to the average primary particle size and primary particle size distribution.