Carbon nano tube Litz wire for low loss inductors and resonators

• US 8,017,864 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Phillips, James P
• Primary Examiner(s): MAYO III, WILLIAM H
• Application Number:
  US12/726,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 174/36, 174/110.R, 174/110.FC
• US Class Current: 174/36
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 1/147 comprising electric conductors or elements for information transfer D07B1/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 5/08 Several wires or the like stranded in the form of a rope
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2823 Wires H01F27/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/34 Special means for preventing or reducing unwanted electric or magnetic effects, e.g. no-load losses, reactive currents, harmonics, oscillations, leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/368 using carbon or carbon composite
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2214/04 Heating means manufactured by using nanotechnology
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An upper frequency-range circuit (160) includes a load element (168) exhibiting a capacitive load impedance. A first matching network (166) includes at least one nano-scale Litz wire (100) inductor. The first matching network (166) exhibits an inductive impedance that nominally matches the capacitive load impedance. An electrical conductor for providing connections for radio-frequency signals includes a plurality of nano-scale conductors (120) that are arranged in the form of a Litz wire (100). In one method of making a Litz wire (142), a plurality of carbon nanotubes (144) is placed on a substrate (146). The carbon nanotubes (144) are woven according to a predefined scheme so as to form a Litz wire (142). An inductor may be formed by manipulating the Litz wire (100) to form a coil (150).

Claims

1. An electrical conductor for providing connections for radio-frequency signals, comprising:

(a) a first plurality of individual nano scale conductors that have been helically interwoven so as to form a first primary strand;

(b) a second plurality of individual nano scale conductors that have been helically interwoven so as to form a second primary strand; and

(c) at least a third plurality of individual nano scale conductors that have been helically interwoven so as to form a third primary strand,

wherein the first primary strand, the second primary strand and the third primary strand are interwoven so as to form a Litz wire.

2. The conductor of claim 1, wherein the nano-scale conductors comprise carbon nanotubes.

3. The conductor of claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise single-walled nanotubes.

4. The conductor of claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise multi-walled nanotubes.

5. The conductor of claim 1, wherein the nano-scale conductors comprise metal oxide nanorods.

6. The conductor of claim 1, wherein the Litz wire is formed into a coil.

7. An inductor comprising:

(a) a first plurality of individual nano scale conductors that have been interwoven so as to form a first primary strand;

(b) a second plurality of individual nano scale conductors that have been interwoven so as to form a second primary strand; and

(c) at least a third plurality of individual nano scale conductors that have been interwoven so as to form a third primary strand,

wherein the first primary strand, the second primary strand and the third primary strand are interwoven so as to form a Litz wire and wherein the Litz wire is formed as a coil.

8. The inductor of claim 7, wherein the Litz wire comprises a helically woven Litz wire.

9. The inductor of claim 7, wherein the Litz wire comprises a rectangular woven Litz wire.

10. The inductor of claim 7, wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise single-walled nanotubes.

11. The inductor of claim 7, wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise multi-walled nanotubes.

12. A method of making a conductor for transmitting radio-frequency signals, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing a plurality of carbon nanotubes on a substrate; and

(b) interweaving a first plurality of individual nano scale conductors into a first primary strand;

(c) interweaving a second plurality of individual nano scale conductors into a second primary strand;

(d) interweaving a third plurality of individual nano scale conductors into a third primary strand; and

(e) interweaving the first primary strand, the second primary strand and the third primary strand so as to form a Litz wire into a Litz wire.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the weaving step is accomplished by moving the carbon nanotubes with a probe tip at the end of a cantilever.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of forming the Litz wire into a coil.