Carbon nanotube temperature and pressure sensors

• US 9,759,622 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Ivanov, Ilia N., Geohegan, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN VERBITSKY, GAIL
• Application Number:
  US14/035,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 374100, 374163, 374166, 374178, 374183, 374185, 374137, 374110, 374111, 374112, 374 13, 374115, 977742, 977762, 977773, 977789, 977902, 977932, 977955
• 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: G01K 2211/00 Thermometers based on nanotechnology
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/00 Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00 ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/021 Particular circuit arrangements G01K7/026, G01K7/12, G01K7/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/028 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/18 the element being a linear resistance, e.g. platinum resistance thermometer G01K7/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/20 by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/00 Measuring steady of quasi-steady pressure of fluid or fluent solid material by electric or magnetic pressure-sensitive elements G01L11/004 takes precedence; Transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements, used to measure the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or fluent solid material, by electric or magnetic means measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0001 Transmitting or indicating the displacement of elastically deformable gauges by electric, electro-mechanical, magnetic or electro-magnetic means G01L9/0026, G01L9/0033, G01L9/0082, G01L9/0089, G01L9/0091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0002 using variations in ohmic resistance G01L9/0051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0005 using variations in capacitance G01L9/0072 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/955 Of thermal property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/956 Of mechanical property

Abstract

The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of measuring pressure or temperature using a sensor including a sensor element composed of a plurality of carbon nanotubes. In one example, the resistance of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is measured in response to the application of temperature or pressure. The changes in resistance are then recorded and correlated to temperature or pressure. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for independent measurement of pressure or temperature using the sensors disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method of measuring temperature comprising:

providing a sensor element composed of a plurality of electrically interconnected nanostructures having a fixed number of junctions between each of the electrically interconnected nanostructures in a temperature range of 0°

K to 550°

K;

applying a current through the electrically interconnected nanostructures, measuring electrical properties of the electrically interconnected nanostructures in response to an application of temperature to the sensor element comprised of the plurality of electrically interconnected nanostructures, the measuring of temperature is independent of pressure, and

correlating the electrical properties of the electrically interconnected nanostructures to temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnected nanostructures are fixed to a rigid substrate, the rigid substrate has a shear modulus of 0.1 Gpa or greater.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrically interconnected nanostructures are carbon nanotubes having a purity of greater than 50%.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrically interconnected nanostructures are carbon nanotubes having a purity of greater than 90%.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrically interconnected nanostructures is disposed in a single layer on the rigid substrate.