Patent · US Expired

Programmable nanometer-scale electrolytic metal deposition and depletion

US6447663B1 · kind B1 · utility

63Cited by
7References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 24, 2000
Grant dateSep 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 18, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S977/899
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method of nanometer-scale deposition of a metal onto a nanostructure includes the steps of: providing a substrate having thereon at least two electrically conductive nanostructures spaced no more than about 50 &mgr;m apart; and depositing metal on at least one of the nanostructures by electric field-directed, programmable, pulsed electrolytic metal deposition. Moreover, a method of nanometer-scale depletion of a metal from a nanostructure includes the steps of providing a substrate having thereon at least two electrically conductive nanostructures spaced no more than about 50 &mgr;m apart, at least one of the nanostructures having a metal disposed thereon; and depleting at least a portion of the metal from the nanostructure by electric field-directed, programmable, pulsed electrolytic metal depletion. A bypass circuit enables ultra-finely controlled deposition.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.