Article comprising aligned nanowires
US6741019B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 18, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 25, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/762
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved process for fabricating emitter structures from nanowires, wherein the nanowires are coated with a magnetic material to allow useful alignment of the wires in the emitter array, and techniques are utilized to provide desirable protrusion of the aligned nanowires in the final structure. In one embodiment, nanowires at least partially coated by a magnetic material are provided, the nanowires having an average length of about 0.1 &mgr;m to about 10,000 &mgr;m. The nanowires are mixed in a liquid medium, and a magnetic field is applied to align the nanowires. The liquid medium is provided with a precursor material capable of consolidation into a solid matrix, e.g., conductive particles or a metal salt, the matrix securing the nanowires in an aligned orientation. A portion of the aligned nanowires are exposed, e.g., by etching a surface portion of the matrix material, to provide desirable nanowire tip protrusion.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.