Intellectual Property Law

US Patent 7465381 - Nanochannel molecular sorting

Posted on December 16, 2008
US Patent 7465381Microfluidics allows for the sensing and manipulating DNA with a smaller sample size. this patent from the University of New Mexico teaches the next step into nanofluidics by using nanochannels such as carbon nanotubes in sorting individual molecules...

US Patent 7463476 - Non-catalytic CNT capacitor fabrication

Posted on December 14, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7463476.htmlDecreasing the size of memory cells has led to decreasing capacitances which are undesirable for scaling. High aspect ratio structures such as carbon nanotubes with large surface areas offer one potential solution...

US Patent 7463421 - Image capturing using MEMS

Posted on December 14, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7463421.htmlIridigm Display Corporation (IDC), a pioneer in MEMS based interferometric displays, was acquired by Qualcomm a few years ago. This patent from IDC has some very basic claims to image capturing devices (e.g...

US Patent 7463116 - Complementary MEMS resonators

Posted on December 11, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7463116.htmlThis patent from Sony teaches a microresonator array configured to balance oscillation forces leading to more stable operation. Claim 1 reads:1. A micro-resonator comprising:a plurality of micro-resonant elements having a beam structure facing an input electrode and an output electrode which use a micromechanical oscillation provided on the same substrate, wherein, a micro-resonant element to oscillate in a first phase and a micro-resonant element to oscillate in a second phase that is a reverse phase to the first phase are disposed to be a pair.

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US Patent 7462666 - Homogeneous nanofiller dispersion

Posted on December 11, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7462666.htmlThis patent from GM teaches a method of forming polymer nanocomposites with a more uniform distribution of clay nanoparticles. Claim 1 reads:1. A method for making a nanocomposite material, the method comprising the steps of:providing a molten polymeric material in an extruder;introducing a solution including a nanofiller material and a supercritical fluid into a molten polymeric material; andcausing the supercritical fluid within the solution to substantially instantaneously convert to a gas phase, thereby forming the nanocomposite material having the nanofiller material substantially homogeneously dispersed therein.

US Patent 7462499 - ZnO coated CNTs for field emission

Posted on December 09, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7462499.htmlDue to the high aspect ratio and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes they have exceptional electron emission behavior useful to flat panel displays and electron beam lithography. This patent from Sharp teaches further improvement in the emission by forming ZnO material regions extending from the carbon nanotube tips...

US Patent 7462498 - Activation method for CNT field emission

Posted on December 09, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7462498.htmlIn order to achieve uniform field emission with carbon nanotube deposits it is useful to remove residual material. However, using an adhesive material for such removal can remove too many nanotubes and/or leave additional residue from the adhesive...

US Patent 7462419 - Microscopic battery with ion transmitting electrolyte

Posted on December 09, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7462419.htmlThis patent from Bipolar Technologies has some early priority (3/10/1998) and teaches an electrolytic microfabricated battery structure. Claim 1 reads:1. A microfabricated battery comprising:a system for internal storage of electricity comprising reactants,the microfabricated battery having a volumetric size which is microscopic including a micrometer footprint substantially less than 20 cm2 and congruent with a microelectronic circuit accommodating integration with the circuit to provide long term stored power and to materially limit power losses,the microfabricated battery comprising a body of material having:a first microfabricated electrode of chemically reactant material,a second microfabricated electrode spaced from the first electrode anda microscopic amount of internal ion-transmitting electrolyte which restricts electronic current flow and accommodates reactions at the electrodes contained within an internal microfabricated space in the body accessible to both electrodes.

US Patent 7460669 - 2-bit encoding using single photon

Posted on December 08, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7460669.htmlThis patent from Toshiba has a fairly early priority date (Oct. 25, 2000) and seems to present some very basic claims to using a single photon to encode multi-bit data states which may be important to future quantum computing...

US Patent 7460490 - Micromechanical displays with rear surface light guide

Posted on December 08, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7460290.htmlThis patent from Pixtronix teaches a micromechanical display having improved luminous efficiency over typical backlight approaches. Claim 1 reads:1. A display apparatus comprising:a light guide;a substrate having a front surface facing an intended viewer and a rear surface facing the light guide, wherein the substrate is separated from the light guide by a gap; andan array of MEMS-based light modulators formed on the rear surface of the substrate.

US Patent 7460224 - Arrays of nanostructures for SERS

Posted on December 08, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7460224.htmlThis patent from Opto Trace Technologies is based on a finding that SERS, which is a highly sensitive a molecular detection mechanism, can be improved by arranging both active nanostructured surfaces formed using noble metals and inactive nanostructured surfaces formed using dielectric materials side be side...

US Patent 7459933 - Pattern recognition using memristor crossbar array

Posted on December 06, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459933.htmlEarlier this year researchers at Hewlett-Packard announced a physical realization of a nanoscale memristor as a fundamentally new circuit element originally theorized by UC Berkeley professor Leon Chua in 1971...

US Patent 7459682 - Nanowire array spin-polarized electron source

Posted on December 06, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459682.htmlOne variety of nanoscale detection devices is spin polarized scanning probe microscopy which uses the spin of electrons emitted from a sharp tip to characterize magnetic phenomena on the nanoscale. However continuous emission is difficult at room temperature...

US Patent 7,459,627 - CNT shielding for coaxial cable

Posted on December 04, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459627.htmlThis patent from Hon Hai Precision and Tsinghua University is similar to an earlier patent (US Patent 7449631) and extends the scope of protection to using carbon nanotubes as electromagnetic shielding for coaxial cables...

US Patent 7459673 - Atomtronic switch with neutral atoms

Posted on December 04, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459673.htmlMost engineers and scientists are familiar with the basic concepts of electronics and photonics which respectively attempt to create amplifying and switching circuits using electron transport and photon transport...

US Patent 7459312 - Cleaning of CNT sensors using light

Posted on December 04, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459312.htmlThis patent from Stanford University teaches a method of using light to remove molecules from a carbon nanotube sensor to facilitate repeated use. Claim 1 reads:1. A method for using a carbon nanotube device including a carbon nanotube, the method comprising:using a light source to direct light at the carbon nanotube and to desorb molecules from the carbon nanotube;detecting a change in an electrical characteristic of the carbon nanotube; andusing the detected change to detect that the molecules have been desorbed from the carbon nanotube.

US Patent 7459324 - Photonic metal nanoparticle

Posted on December 02, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459324.htmlPhotonics is analogous to electronics except instead of using circuits for transporting electrons the circuits of photonic devices transport particles of light. This patent from U.S. Naval Research Labs teaches an optical amplification device based on metal nanoparticles which seem to be a type of optical transistor...

US Patent 7459137 - Solvent-free CNT functionalization

Posted on December 02, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459137.htmlDue to molecular forces carbon nanotubes often bundle together making it necessary to include a solvent when functionalizing the nanoubes for applications such as biosensors. However, the requirement for solvent places a constraint on the type of environments and chemical reactions permitted for the functionalization...

US Patent 7459121- Nanotube membrane fabrication

Posted on December 02, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459121.htmlBuckypaper is a membrane material formed from carbon nanotubes having potential applications as an emission material for displays and in body armor but early fabrication methods have been discontinuous and produce only small quantities...

US Patent 7457508 - High optical transmission nanocrystal composites

Posted on November 30, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7457508.htmlThis patent from Lucent (now Alcatel-Lucent) teaches improved fiber optics based on nanocrystal/polymer composites. Claim 1 reads:1. A composition of matter, comprising:a polymer matrix including polymer chains having a plurality of carbon-halogen bonds; anda plurality of nanocrystal quantum dots dispersed and separated apart from each other within the polymer matrix,wherein the polymer chains include aromatic groups.

US Patent 7457021 - Fiber based MEMS

Posted on November 30, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7457021.htmlMicromachined materials have traditionally been limited to silicon, metal, and ceramic films with some more recent work being done with polymers. However, this patent from Cornell Research Foundation teaches an entirely different approach using carbon fibers as the actuation material for a micromirror type actuator having improved mechanical and flexure properties...

US Patent 7456972 - Surface plasmon induction in MWCNTs

Posted on November 30, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7456972.htmlSurface plasmon resonance is an effect commonly associated with biosensor applications and for which metal coated dielectric nanoparticles are being used as the resonant material. However, such metal nanoshells can be difficult to fabricate and cause unwanted heat generation...

US Patent 7456551 - Submersible marine microsensor module

Posted on November 30, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7456551.htmlMost sensors used in underwater exploration can be bulky and have limited maneuverability and sample size requirements. This patent based on a collaboration between the University of Florida and the University of Arkansas teaches using piezoelectric microsensors to facilitate miniaturize of the exploration equipment in use...

US Patent 7456131 - High thermal conductivity zeolite composite

Posted on November 25, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7456131.htmlZeolites are nanoporous aluminosilicate materials useful to a variety of purification systems however heating of the zeolite can limit absorbing capacity. This patent from UT-Battelle teaches including thermally conductive material to cool the zeolite and improve performance...

US Patent 7456052 - Tethered CNTs for thermal interface

Posted on November 25, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7456052.htmlThis patent is another in Intel's continuing effort to find thermal interface solutions using carbon nanotubes. Claim 1 reads:1. A process:coating at least one surface of least one of a heat sink and of a die with a metal;oxidizing carbon nanotubes ropes in sulfuric and nitric acids, whereby the carbon nanotubes ropes are cut into a plurality of short carbon nanotubes with open ends having carboxyl linkages attached thereto;treating at least one end of at least some of a plurality of carbon nanotubes by applying organic moieties thereto; andtethering one end of the at least some of the carbon nanotubes of the plurality of carbon nanotubes to the metal.

US Patent 7455825 - Manufacture of metal sulfide nanocrystals

Posted on November 25, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7455825.htmlThis patent from Samsung teaches a method for making sulfide quantum dots (e.g. CdS, ZnS and PbS) with a more uniform size. Claim 1 reads:1. A method for manufacturing metal sulfide nanocrystals by reacting a metal precursor and an alkyl thiol in a solvent, wherein the alkyl thiol reacts with the metal precursor to form the metal sulfide nanocrystals.

US Patent 7453789 - CNT core microtip write/read head

Posted on November 24, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7453789.htmlThis patent from the French Atomic Energy Commission teaches forming a carbon nanotube wrapped in an insulating sheath as a read/write needle for ultrahigh density data recording. Claim 1 reads:1. Data recording device comprising at least one electrically conducting microtip having an end designed to be brought into electric contact with a recording medium, the microtip comprising a longitudinal conducting core having a substantially constant cross-section, device wherein the microtip is surrounded by a sheath made of non-conducting material, so that the free ends of the core and of the sheath are at the same level at the end of the microtip.

US Patent 7453622 - Polyelectrolyte gel MEMS pump

Posted on November 24, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7453622.htmlThis patent to Intel teaches a new type of actuation method for micromechanical structures which avoids the necessity of thermal, electrostatic, or piezo actuation mechanisms and which offers simpler and less costly manufacture...

US Patent 7453154 - CNT via flip chip interconnect

Posted on November 24, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7453154.htmlThis patent from Delphi Technologies teaches forming the via connections between electronic circuit substrates with carbon nanotubes. Claim 1 reads:1. An electronic package comprising:a first electronic device including an electronic circuit having an input/output pad, and at least one electrically conductive carbon nanotube extending from the input/output pad and beyond a surface of the device to provide an interconnect;a second electronic device, the first electronic device mounted on the second electronic device to form a stacked arrangement;a substrate, the stacked arrangement mounted on the substrate, the carbon nanotube extending away from the first electronic device, through an opening in the second electronic device, and connected to the substrate.

US Patent 7453093 - CNT filler for LED package

Posted on November 24, 2008
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7453093.htmlThis patent from Samsung teaches using the thermal transport properties of carbon nanotubes to improve heat dissipation in LED packaging. Claim 1 reads:1. A light emitting diode package comprising:a substrate having at least one groove formed on an underside surface thereof;a plurality of upper electrodes formed on a top surface of the substrate;at least one light emitting diode chip mounted over the substrate, the light emitting diode chip having both terminals electrically connected to the upper electrodes; anda carbon nanotube filler filled in the groove of the substrate.

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