Nanoparticle production and corresponding structures

• US 20090075083A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nanogram Corporation (Teijin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nanogram Corporation (Teijin Limited)
• Inventors: Kambe, Nobuyuki, Chiruvolu, Shivkumar, Kumar, Sujeet, Horne, Craig R., Bi, Xiangxin, Mosso, Ronald J., DeMascarel, Pierre J., Gardner, James T., Lynch, Robert B., McGovern, William E.
• Application Number:
  US12/152,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075083A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/402
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/054 Nanosized particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/24 starting from liquid metal compounds, e.g. solutions
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 21/068 with silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 25/45 containing plural metal, or metal and ammonium
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/956 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/977 Preparation from organic compounds containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/182 by reduction of a siliceous material, e.g. with a carbonaceous reducing agent and subsequent oxidation of the silicon monoxide formed
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 17/241 containing two or more rare earth metals, e.g. NdPrO3 or LaNdPrO3
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 7/302 Hydrolysis or oxidation of gaseous aluminium compounds in the gaseous phase
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 7/308 Thermal decomposition of nitrates
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 7/44 Dehydration of aluminium oxide or hydroxide, i.e. all conversions of one form into another involving a loss of water
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 19/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 23/005 Alkali titanates
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 31/00 Compounds of vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 31/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 45/02 Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 45/1242 of the type [Mn2O4]-, e.g. LiMn2O4, Li[MxMn2-x]O4
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 51/42 containing alkali metals, e.g. LiCoO2
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 53/42 containing alkali metals, e.g. LiNiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 9/02 : Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/02 : Amorphous compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/32 : spinel-type (AB2O4)
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/54 : one element only
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/72 : by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/04 : obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/51 : Particles with a specific particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/64 : Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/80 : Particles consisting of a mixture of two or more inorganic phases
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/12 : Surface area
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3215 : Barium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3224 : Rare earth oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. scandium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3262 : Manganese oxides, manganates, rhenium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof, e.g. MnO
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5454 : nanometer sized, i.e. below 100 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/44 : based on aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Methods are described that have the capability of producing submicron/nanoscale particles, in some embodiments dispersible, at high production rates. In some embodiments, the methods result in the production of particles with an average diameter less than about 75 nanometers that are produced at a rate of at least about 35 grams per hour. In other embodiments, the particles are highly uniform. These methods can be used to form particle collections and/or powder coatings. Powder coatings and corresponding methods are described based on the deposition of highly uniform submicron/nanoscale particles.

Claims

1. A collection of particles comprising doped elemental silicon/germanium having an average primary particle size of no more than about 100 nm.

2. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein the average primary particles size is no more than about 75 nm.

3. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein the particles comprise effectively no particles with a primary particle diameter greater than about 4 times the average particle diameter.

4. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein at least about 95 percent of the particles have a primary particle diameter greater than about 60 percent of the average primary particle diameter and less than about 140 percent of the average primary particle diameter.

5. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein the elemental silicon/germanium is crystalline.

6. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein the dopant concentration is no more than 10 mole percent.

7. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein the dopant concentration is from about 0.001 to about 5 mole percent.

8. The collection of particles of claim 1 wherein the dopant is B, Al, Ga, In, or combinations thereof.

9. The collection of particle of claim 1 wherein the dopant is P, Sb or combinations thereof.

10. A method for producing doped elemental silicon/germanium particles having an average primary particle size of no more than about 100 nm, the method comprising reacting a reactant flow comprising a silicon precursor and a dopant precursor wherein the reactant flow passes through a light beam to form a product flow downstream from the light beam and wherein the light beam drives the reaction of the precursor compositions.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the light beam is generated by a laser.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the laser is an infrared laser.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the reactant flow is initiated in a reaction chamber from a inlet of a nozzle wherein the inlet has an elongated shape the generated as elongated flow aligned to pass the elongated flow through the light beam.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the reactant inlet nozzle comprises an inlet opening that is elongated with an aspect ratio of at least about 5.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the dopant comprises B, Al, Ga, In, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the dopant comprises P, Sb or combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the product particles have a dopant concentration from about 0.001 to about 5 mole percent.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the precursor comprises a vapor precursor and an aerosol precursor.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the silicon/germanium precursor and the dopant precursors are delivered into a reaction chamber as vapors.