Layered electrodes with inorganic thin films and method for producing the same
First Claim
1. A method for making a layered electrode, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) mounting a conductor in a cold wall reaction chamber;
b) heating said conductor through an electrical connection to a power supply;
c) contacting a precursor vapor and a blend gas with said conductor in the reaction chamber;
d) depositing a thin continuous film layer of an inorganic material on said conductor by pyrolytic decomposition of the precursor vapor at a surface of said conductor; and
e) preparing the conductor with the thin-film layer for use as an electrode, including connecting a lead to the conductor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for the preparation of layered electrodes, including ultramicroelectrodes, through application of a thin film coating of an inorganic material to a conductor by use of chemical vapor deposition. The chemical vapor deposition techniques of the present invention provide a layered electrode that is efficiently and effectively manufactured in a standard reaction chamber at atmospheric pressure. The preferred conductors are carbon fibers and foams, and metal (platinum or gold) wires, meshes and foams. The precursors for the thin film deposition include those that yield thin-films of insulators, semiconductors, metals, and superconductors. During the chemical vapor deposition process, a thin film coating is formed on the conductor by the pyrolytic decomposition of the precursor vapor at the surface of the heated conductor. The hardness and rigidity of the thin film layer imparts durability and structure to the fragile and flexible conductors without significantly increasing the size of the device. The variable parameters in the deposition process are monitored and controlled so that the desired thickness of thin film coating will be obtained.
102 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for making a layered electrode, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) mounting a conductor in a cold wall reaction chamber; b) heating said conductor through an electrical connection to a power supply; c) contacting a precursor vapor and a blend gas with said conductor in the reaction chamber; d) depositing a thin continuous film layer of an inorganic material on said conductor by pyrolytic decomposition of the precursor vapor at a surface of said conductor; and e) preparing the conductor with the thin-film layer for use as an electrode, including connecting a lead to the conductor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for making a layered electrode, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) selecting a conductor, and mounting said conductor in a reaction chamber; b) connecting said conductor to a power supply and heating said conductor by resistive heating; c) placing a precursor in a vaporization chamber; d) facilitating the vaporization of the precursor and creating a precursor vapor having a concentration of the precursor; e) conveying the precursor vapor from the vaporization chamber to the reaction chamber; f) contacting the precursor vapor with the conductor in the reaction chamber, and forming a thin continuous film coating on a surface of the conductor by a pyrolytic decomposition of the precursor vapor at the surface of the heated conductor; and g) controlling the concentration of the precursor, a flow rate of the precursor vapor, a temperature of the conductor, and a process time of contact in the reaction chamber until the deposition of the thin film coating on the surface of the conductor is completed. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An ultramicroelectrode comprising:
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a) conductor means for collecting and conducting an electrical charge, said conductor having a thickness in the range from about 0.5 micrometers to about 50.0 micrometers; and b) at least one thin film layer of inorganic material formed on said conductor means, said thin film layer having a continuous and generally uniform thickness in the range of 0.5 micrometers to 30 micrometers, each of said thin film layers having at least two apertures to facilitate the collecting and conducting of the electrical charge by said conductor means; c) at least one lead connected to said conductor through one of the apertures in said thin film layer for conducting the electrical charge. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification