METHOD AND SYSTEM OF USING NANOTUBE FABRICS AS JOULE HEATING ELEMENTS FOR MEMORIES AND OTHER APPLICATIONS
First Claim
1. A method of heating an article comprising:
- positioning a nanotube element with predefined geometry in proximity to and in thermal communication with an article to be heated;
electrically stimulating the nanotube element with a predefined electrical signal to induce the emission of a predefined amount of heat over a predefined period of time.
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Abstract
Methods and systems of using nanotube elements as joule heating elements for memories and other applications. Under one aspect, a method includes providing an electrical stimulus, regulated by a drive circuit, through a nanotube element in order to heat an adjacent article. Further, a detection circuit electrically gauges the state of the article. The article heated by the nanotube element is, in preferred embodiments, a phase changing material, hi memory applications, the invention may be used as a small-scale CRAM capable of employing small amounts of current to induce rapid, large temperature changes in a chalcogenide material. Under various embodiments of the disclosed invention, the nanotube element is composed of a non-woven nanotube fabric which is either suspended from supports and positioned adjacent to the phase change material or is disposed on a substrate and in direct contact with the phase change material. A plurality of designs using various geometric orientations of nanotube fabrics, phase change materials, and drive and detection circuitry is disclosed. Additionally, methods of fabricating nanotube heat emitters are disclosed.
76 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of heating an article comprising:
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positioning a nanotube element with predefined geometry in proximity to and in thermal communication with an article to be heated; electrically stimulating the nanotube element with a predefined electrical signal to induce the emission of a predefined amount of heat over a predefined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A circuit comprising:
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a phase changing material having a plurality of physical states, each state activatable in response to heat stimulus; a detection circuit in electrical communication with the phase changing material to detect the physical state of said material; a heat emitting element adjacent to the phase changing material to emit heat in response to an electrical stimulus; wherein said heat emitting element includes a nanotube element in thermal communication with the phase changing material and capable of transforming the physical state of said material in response to electrical stimulus. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of making a heat sensitive memory circuit, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate with a defined portion of phase change material; forming a nanotube element in proximity to the phase change material; and providing a drive circuit in electrical communication with the nanotube element to electrically stimulate the nanotube element and induce said element to generate heat.
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Specification