Carbon nanotube structures, carbon nanotube devices using the same and method for manufacturing carbon nanotube structures

• US 6,921,575 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Kazunaga, Shimizu, Masaaki, Yoshizawa, Hisae
• Primary Examiner(s): HENDRICKSON, STUART L
• Application Number:
  US10/014,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20020172639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 428/367, 438/20, 438/962, 313/235, 257/776, 361/751
• US Class Current: 428/367
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• 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 32/168 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/12 Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/938 Field effect transistors, FETS, with nanowire- or nanotube-channel region
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]

Abstract

Carbon nanotube structures are provided, in which the networks with a desired area and volume, where the carbon nanotubes are electrically or magnetically connected, are formed and the method for easily manufacturing the carbon nanotube structures with less carbon nanotube structures. Carbon nanotube devices are also provided, to which the useful carbon nanotube structures mentioned above are applied. A method for manufacturing carbon nanotube structures includes the steps of applying carbon nanotubes to a low-viscosity dispersion medium to obtain a high-viscosity dispersing liquid which includes carbon nanotubes, and forming a network of the carbon nanotubes having electrical and/or magnetic connections therebetween by removing the low-viscosity dispersion medium from the high-viscosity dispersed liquid.

Claims

1. A device, which comprises two or more carbon nanotube structure layers comprising carbon nanotube structures in which a network is formed by plural carbon nanotubes intercrossed.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a functional layer is formed between at least two carbon nanotube structure layers.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the functional layer contains a functional object, and some carbon nanotubes contained in both the carbon nanotube structures facing with the functional layer therebetween are electrically and/or magnetically connected through the functional layer.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the carbon nanotube structures function as conductive wiring.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the carbon nanotube structures function as planar electrodes.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the carbon nanotube structures function as device circuits.