Applications of nano-enabled large area macroelectronic substrates incorporating nanowires and nanowire composites

• US 7,083,104 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ONED Material Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nanosys Incorporated (Shoei Electronic Materials, Inc.)
• Inventors: Niu, Chunming, Duan, Xiangfeng, Empedocles, Stephen A., Stumbo, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US11/226,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20060169788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/491, 340/570.7, 438/99, 438/382, 438/486
• US Class Current: 235/491
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/02 using elements whose operation depends upon chemical change G11C13/0009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/16 Memory cell being a nanotube, e.g. suspended nanotube
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/17 Memory cell being a nanowire transistor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/18 Memory cell being a nanowire having RADIAL composition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0665 the shape of the body defining a nanostructure nanotechnology per se B82B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0673 oriented parallel to a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0676 oriented perpendicular or at an angle to a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42392 fully surrounding the channel, e.g. gate-all-around
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/775 with one dimensional charge carrier gas channel, e.g. quantum wire FET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78696 characterised by the structure of the channel, e.g. multichannel, transverse or longitudinal shape, length or width, doping structure, or the overlap or alignment between the channel and the gate, the source or the drain, or the contacting structure of the channel H01L29/78612 takes precedence; transistors having a drain offset region or a lightly doped drain [LDD] H01L29/78621

Abstract

Macroelectronic substrate materials incorporating nanowires are described. These are used to provide underlying electronic elements (e.g., transistors and the like) for a variety of different applications. Methods for making the macroelectronic substrate materials are disclosed. One application is for transmission an reception of RF signals in small, lightweight sensors. Such sensors can be configured in a distributed sensor network to provide security monitoring. Furthermore, a method and apparatus for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is described. The RFID tag includes an antenna and a beam-steering array. The beam-steering array includes a plurality of tunable elements. A method and apparatus for an acoustic cancellation device and for an adjustable phase shifter that are enabled by nanowires are also described.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

an antenna;

a beam-steering array that includes a plurality of tunable elements, each tunable element including;

a plurality of phase-adjustment components;

a switch corresponding to each phase-adjustment component, said switch including a transistor formed by a thin film of nanowires in electrical contact with source and drain contacts;

wherein said switch enables said corresponding phase-adjustment component to change a phase of said tunable element;

wherein an electromagnetic (EM) signal transmitted by said antenna is redirected by said beam-steering array.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said beam-steering array focuses said EM signal.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said each phase-adjustment element comprises an inductor.

4. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein said inductor is a micro-strip inductor.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said each phase-adjustment element comprises a capacitor.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires are aligned substantially parallel to their long axis.

7. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires are randomly aligned.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires are coated with a dielectric material to thereby form a gate dielectric.

9. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires have doped cores.

10. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires have doped shells.

11. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires have doped cores and shells.

12. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires are N-doped.

13. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said nanowires are P-doped.

14. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein said beam-steering array is a beam-steering reflector, wherein said tunable elements are tunable cells that are co-planar.

15. The RFID tag of claim 14, wherein each tunable cell comprises a resonant structure.

16. The RFID tag of claim 15, wherein said switch enables the electrical coupling of said corresponding phase adjustment component to said resonant structure to change a phase of said tunable cell.

17. The RFID tag of claim 16, wherein each said resonant structure comprises:

a first electrically conductive layer;

a second electrically conductive layer;

a dielectric layer between said first and said second electrically conductive layers; and

an electrically conductive via through said dielectric layer having a first end coupled to said first electrically conductive layer and having a second end extending through an opening in said second electrically conductive layer.

18. The RFID tag of claim 17, wherein said nanowire film-based transistor is attached to said second electrically conductive layer, wherein a terminal of said nanowire film-based transistor is coupled to said second end of said electrically conductive via.

19. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

a beam-steering array that includes a plurality of tunable antenna elements, each tunable antenna element including;

a plurality of phase-adjustment components;

a switch corresponding to each phase-adjustment component, said switch including a transistor formed by a thin film of nanowires in electrical contact with source and drain contacts;

wherein said switch enables said corresponding phase-adjustment component to change a phase of said tunable antenna element;

wherein an electromagnetic (EM) signal transmitted by said beam-steering array is directed by controlling the phase of each of said plurality of tunable antenna elements.

20. The RFID tag of claim 19, wherein said tunable elements are tunable transmission line segments.

21. The RFID tag of claim 20, wherein said switch shorts said transmission line segment to change a length of said transmission line segment to change a phase of said transmission line segment.

22. A method for steering an electromagnetic (EM) signal related to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

(a) receiving the EM signal at a beam-steering array of the RFID tag, wherein the beam-steering array includes a plurality of tunable elements; and

(b) adjusting a phase of a tunable element of the beam-steering array to re-direct the EM signal, including the step of;

(1) actuating a switch corresponding to a phase-adjustment component coupled to the tunable element to change a phase of the tunable element, the switch including a transistor formed by a thin film of nanowires in electrical contact with source and drain contacts.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

(c) prior to step (a), transmitting the EM signal from an antenna of the RFID tag;

wherein step (a) comprises receiving the EM signal from the antenna.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein step (b) comprises:

re-directing the EM signal towards a reader.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein step (a) comprises:

receiving the EM signal from a reader.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

(c) scanning the beam-steering array to determine a direction from which the EM signal is received.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(1) performing step (b) for at least one tunable element of the beam-steering array;

(2) measuring an amplitude of the received EM signal;

(3) comparing the measured amplitude with a previously measured amplitude;

(4) repeating steps (1)–

(3) until a maximum measured amplitude is determined.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein step (b) comprises:

re-directing the EM signal towards an antenna of the tag.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) comprises:

focusing the EM signal.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) comprises:

spreading the EM signal.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein each phase-adjustment element comprises an inductor, wherein said actuating step comprises:

actuating the switch corresponding to the inductor coupled to the tunable element to change a phase of the tunable element.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein each phase-adjustment element comprises an capacitor, wherein said actuating step comprises:

actuating the switch corresponding to the capacitor coupled to the tunable element to change a phase of the tunable element.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the beam-steering array is a beam-steering reflector, wherein the tunable elements are co-planar tunable cells comprising a resonant structure, wherein step (1) comprises:

actuating a switch corresponding to a phase-adjustment component coupled to the resonant structure to change a phase of the resonant structure.

34. A method for steering an electromagnetic (EM) signal related to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

(a) transmitting the EM signal using a beam-steering array of the RFID tag, wherein the beam-steering array includes a plurality of tunable antenna elements; and

(b) adjusting a phase of a tunable antenna element of the beam-steering array to re-direct the EM signal, including the step of;

(1) actuating a switch corresponding to a phase-adjustment component coupled to the tunable antenna element to change a phase of the tunable element, the switch including a transistor formed by a thin film of nanowires in electrical contact with source and drain contacts.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the tunable elements are tunable transmission line segments, wherein step (1) comprises:

actuating a switch corresponding to a phase-adjustment component to short the transmission line segment to change a length of the transmission line segment to change a phase of the transmission line segment.