Controlled alignment of catalytically grown nanostructures in a large-scale synthesis process

• US 7,947,976 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Guillorn, Michael A., Melechko, Anatoli V., Merkulov, Vladimir I., Lowndes, Douglas H., Simpson, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENZ, LAURA MARY
• Application Number:
  US12/220,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20090081415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/17, 977/843
• US Class Current: 257/40
• 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 2202/08 Aligned nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/162 characterised by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/127 by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases or vapours or other carbon-containing compounds in the form of gas or vapour, e.g. carbon monoxide, alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5438 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/843 Gas phase catalytic growth, i.e. chemical vapor deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/891 Vapor phase deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/943 Information storage or retrieval using nanostructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 Nonplanar uniform thickness material

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for controlled alignment of catalytically grown nanostructures in a large-scale synthesis process. A method includes: generating an electric field proximate an edge of a protruding section of an electrode, the electric field defining a vector; and forming an elongated nanostructure located at a position on a surface of a substrate, the position on the surface of the substrate proximate the edge of the protruding section of the electrode, at least one tangent to the elongated nanostructure i) substantially parallel to the vector defined by the electric field and ii) substantially non-parallel to a normal defined by the surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. An article comprising:

a substrate having a surface and an edge, the edge defining a perimeter of the surface;

a plurality of elongated nanostructures on the surface of the substrate, each elongated nanostructure of the plurality being aligned at an angle with respect to a normal to the surface of the substrate, the angle varying systematically with distance from the edge of the substrate.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein each elongated nanostructure includes a carbon nanotube.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein each elongated nanostructure includes a carbon nanofiber.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the angle decreases with distance from the edge of the substrate.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein the angle approaches zero at large distances from the edge of the substrate.

6. The article of claim 4, wherein the angle is as high as about 40 degrees near the edge of the substrate.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein each elongated nanostructure comprises a first elongated segment defining a first axis and a second elongated segment coupled to the first elongated segment, the second elongated segment defining a second axis that is nonparallel to the first axis.

8. The article of claim 7, wherein the first elongated segment is aligned substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and the second elongated segment is aligned at the angle with respect to the normal to the surface of the substrate.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an electrode.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the electrode is a cathode.

11. The article of claim 9, wherein the substrate is removably coupled to a surface of the electrode.

12. The article of claim 9, wherein the electrode includes a protuberance having a three-dimensional shape.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the three-dimensional shape has a cross-section selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, triangle, trapezoid, circle, and oval.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein the substrate is removably coupled to a surface of the protuberance.