Ultrathin porous nanoscale membranes, methods of making, and uses thereof
First Claim
1. A nanoporous membrane exposed on opposite sides thereof and having an average thickness of less than about 100 nm, wherein the membrane comprises nanocrystalline silicon and has a surface roughness of less than 1 nm on both sides thereof, wherein said nanoporous membrane is prepared according to a process comprising:
- applying a nanoscale silicon film to one side of a substrate;
forming a passage through the substrate, thereby exposing the film on both sides thereof to form a membrane; and
annealing the silicon at a temperature effective to convert the silicon into a nanocrystalline form, thereby forming a plurality of randomly spaced pores in the nanoporous membrane.
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Abstract
A process for forming a porous nanoscale membrane is described. The process involves applying a nanoscale film to one side of a substrate, where the nanoscale film includes a semiconductor material; masking an opposite side of the substrate; etching the substrate, beginning from the masked opposite side of the substrate and continuing until a passage is formed through the substrate, thereby exposing the film on both sides thereof to form a membrane; and then simultaneously forming a plurality of randomly spaced pores in the membrane. The resulting porous nanoscale membranes, characterized by substantially smooth surfaces, high pore densities, and high aspect ratio dimensions, can be used in filtration devices, microfluidic devices, fuel cell membranes, and as electron microscopy substrates.
100 Citations
75 Claims
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1. A nanoporous membrane exposed on opposite sides thereof and having an average thickness of less than about 100 nm, wherein the membrane comprises nanocrystalline silicon and has a surface roughness of less than 1 nm on both sides thereof, wherein said nanoporous membrane is prepared according to a process comprising:
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applying a nanoscale silicon film to one side of a substrate; forming a passage through the substrate, thereby exposing the film on both sides thereof to form a membrane; and annealing the silicon at a temperature effective to convert the silicon into a nanocrystalline form, thereby forming a plurality of randomly spaced pores in the nanoporous membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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- 41. A nanoporous membrane comprising silicon nanocrystals, wherein the membrane is exposed on opposite sides thereof, has an average thickness of less than about 100 nm, and has a plurality of pores extending between the opposite sides thereof, wherein both of the opposite sides have a surface roughness of less than about 1 nm.
Specification