Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080292808 | METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOUND NANORODS AND THIN FILMS - A method of producing compound nanorods and thin films under a controlled growth mode is described. The method involves ablating compound targets using an ultrafast pulsed laser and depositing the ablated materials onto a substrate. When producing compound nanorods, external catalysts such as pre-deposited metal nanoparticles are not involved. Instead, at the beginning of deposition, simply by varying the fluence at the focal spot on the target, a self-formed seed layer can be introduced for nanorods growth. This provides a simple method of producing high purity nanorods and controlling the growth mode. Three growth modes are covered by the present invention, including nanorod growth, thin film growth, and nano-porous film growth. | 11-27-2008 |
20090246413 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING THIN FILMS - A method of ultrashort pulsed laser deposition (PLD) capable of continuously tuning formed-film morphology from that of a nanoparticle aggregate to a smooth thin film completely free of particles and droplets. The materials that can be synthesized using various embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, metals, alloys, metal oxides, and semiconductors. A ‘burst’ mode of ultrashort pulsed laser ablation and deposition is provided, where each ‘burst’ contains a train of laser pulses. Tuning of the film morphology is achieved by controlling the burst-mode parameters such as the number of pulses and the time-spacing between the pulses within each burst, the burst repetition rate, and the laser fluence. The system includes an ultrashort pulsed laser, an optical setup for delivering the laser beam such that the beam is focused onto the target surface with an appropriate average energy density (fluence), and a vacuum chamber in which the target and the substrate are installed and background gases and their pressures are appropriately adjusted. | 10-01-2009 |
20090246530 | Method For Fabricating Thin Films - A method of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) capable of continuously tuning formed-film morphology from that of a nanoparticle aggregate to a smooth thin film free of particles and droplets. The materials that can be synthesized using various embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, metals, alloys, metal oxides, and semiconductors. In various embodiments a ‘burst’ mode of ultrashort pulsed laser ablation and deposition is provided. Tuning of the film morphology is achieved by controlling the burst-mode parameters such as the number of pulses and the time-spacing between the pulses within each burst, the burst repetition rate, and the laser fluence. The system includes an ultrashort pulsed laser, an optical system for delivering a focused onto the target surface with an appropriate energy density, and a vacuum chamber in which the target and the substrate are installed and background gases and their pressures are appropriately adjusted. | 10-01-2009 |
20090311513 | METHOD FOR DEPOSITING CRYSTALLINE TITANIA NANOPARTICLES AND FILMS - A one-step and room-temperature process for depositing nanoparticles or nanocomposite (nanoparticle-assembled) films of metal oxides such as crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO | 12-17-2009 |
20100000466 | P-Type Semiconductor Zinc Oxide Films Process for Preparation Thereof, and Pulsed Laser Deposition Method Using Transparent Substrates - A p-type semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) film and a process for preparing the film are disclosed. The film is co-doped with phosphorous (P) and lithium (Li). A pulsed laser deposition scheme is described for use in growing the film. Further described is a process of pulsed laser deposition using transparent substrates which includes a pulsed laser source, a substrate that is transparent at the wavelength of the pulsed laser, and a multi-target system. The optical path of the pulsed laser is arranged in such a way that the pulsed laser is incident from the back of the substrate, passes through the substrate, and then focuses on the target. By translating the substrate towards the target, this geometric arrangement enables deposition of small features utilizing the root of the ablation plume, which can exist in a one-dimensional transition stage along the target surface normal, before the angular width of the plume is broadened by three-dimensional adiabatic expansion. This can provide small deposition feature sizes, which can be similar in size to the laser focal spot, and provides a novel method for direct deposition of patterned materials. | 01-07-2010 |
20100196192 | Production of metal and metal-alloy nanoparticles with high repetition rate ultrafast pulsed laser ablation in liquids - Various embodiments include a method of producing chemically pure and stably dispersed metal and metal-alloy nanoparticle colloids with ultrafast pulsed laser ablation. A method comprises irradiating a metal or metal alloy target submerged in a liquid with ultrashort laser pulses at a high repetition rate, cooling a portion of the liquid that includes an irradiated region, and collecting nanoparticles produced with the laser irradiation and liquid cooling. The method may be implemented with a high repetition rate ultrafast pulsed laser source, an optical system for focusing and moving the pulsed laser beams, a metal or metal alloy target submerged in a liquid, and a liquid circulating system to cool the laser focal volume and collect the nanoparticle products. By controlling various laser parameters, and with optional liquid flow movement, the method provides stable colloids of dispersed metal and metal-alloy nanoparticles. In various embodiments additional stabilizing chemical agents are not required. | 08-05-2010 |
20100209700 | METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOUND NANORODS AND THIN FILMS - A method of producing compound nanorods and thin films under a controlled growth mode is described. The method involves ablating compound targets using an ultrafast pulsed laser and depositing the ablated materials onto a substrate. When producing compound nanorods, external catalysts such as pre-deposited metal nanoparticles are not involved. Instead, at the beginning of deposition, simply by varying the fluence at the focal spot on the target, a self-formed seed layer can be introduced for nanorods growth. This provides a simple method of producing high purity nanorods and controlling the growth mode. Three growth modes are covered by the present invention, including nanorod growth, thin film growth, and nano-porous film growth. | 08-19-2010 |
20100227133 | PULSED LASER MICRO-DEPOSITION PATTERN FORMATION - A method of forming patterns on transparent substrates using a pulsed laser is disclosed. Various embodiments include an ultrashort pulsed laser, a substrate that is transparent to the laser wavelength, and a target plate. The laser beam is guided through the transparent substrate and focused on the target surface. The target material is ablated by the laser and is deposited on the opposite substrate surface. A pattern, for example a gray scale image, is formed by scanning the laser beam relative to the target. Variations of the laser beam scan speed and scan line density control the material deposition and change the optical properties of the deposited patterns, creating a visual effect of gray scale. In some embodiments patterns may be formed on a portion of a microelectronic device during a fabrication process. In some embodiments high repetition rate picoseconds and nanosecond sources are configured to produce the patterns. | 09-09-2010 |
20110192450 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING NANOPARTICLE SOLUTIONS BASED ON PULSED LASER ABLATION FOR FABRICATION OF THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS - A method of producing nanoparticles of solar light absorbing compound materials based on pulsed laser ablation is disclosed. The method uses irradiation of a target material of solar light absorbing compound material with a pulsed laser beam having a pulse duration of from 10 femtoseconds to 500 picoseconds to ablate the target thereby producing nanoparticles of the target. The nanoparticles are collected and a solution of the nanoparticles is applied to a substrate to produce a thin film solar cell. The method preserves the composition and structural crystalline phase of the starting target. The method is a much lower cost fabrication method for thin film solar cells. | 08-11-2011 |
20110192714 | NANOPARTICLE PRODUCTION IN LIQUID WITH MULTIPLE-PULSE ULTRAFAST LASER ABLATION - A method for generating nanoparticles in a liquid comprises generating groups of ultrafast laser pulses, each pulse in a group having a pulse duration of from 10 femtoseconds to 200 picoseconds, and each group containing a plurality of pulses with a pulse separation of 1 to 100 nanoseconds and directing the groups of pulses at a target material in a liquid to ablate it. The multiple pulse group ablation produces nanoparticles with a reduced average size, a narrow size distribution, and improved production efficiency compared to prior pulsed ablation systems. | 08-11-2011 |
20110193025 | PRODUCTION OF FINE PARTICLES OF FUNCTIONAL CERAMIC BY USING PULSED LASER - A method of forming nanometer sized fine particles of functional ceramic from a bulk functional ceramic, particularly fine particles of phosphorous ceramics from a bulk phosphor material is disclosed. The method relies on irradiation of a bulk phosphorous ceramic in a liquid with an ultrashort-pulsed-laser-fragmentation beam to thereby form nanometer sized particles of the phosphorous ceramic. The method is unique in that the generated particles retain the chemical and crystalline properties of the bulk phosphorous ceramic. The generated solutions are stable colloids from which the particles can be isolated or used as is. | 08-11-2011 |
20110194106 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PREPARE A SUBSTRATE FOR MOLECULAR DETECTION - An device for Raman spectroscopy such as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is disclosed herein. Various embodiments may be utilized to prepare a SERS substrate using several deposition techniques such as pulsed laser deposition. Some embodiments optimize coverage, volume, or elements of SERS active metals. The method is a single step inexpensive method for preparing a SERS active substrate. In some embodiments a coating layer underneath the SERS active metals is utilized for additional enhancements. | 08-11-2011 |
20110196044 | PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC COMPOUND NANOPARTICLES WITH HIGH REPETITION RATE ULTRAFAST PULSED LASER ABLATION IN LIQUIDS - Disclosed is a method of producing a chemically pure and stably dispersed organic nanoparticle colloidal suspension using an ultrafast pulsed laser ablation process. The method comprises irradiating a target of an organic compound material in contact with a poor solvent with ultrashort laser pulses at a high repetition rate and collecting the nanoparticles of the organic compound produced. The method may be implemented with a high repetition rate ultrafast pulsed laser source, an optical system for focusing and moving the pulsed laser beam, an organic compound target in contact with a poor solvent, and a solvent circulating system to cool the laser focal volume and collect the produced nanoparticle products. By controlling various laser parameters, and with optional poor solvent flow movement, the method provides stable colloids of dispersed organic nanoparticles in the poor solvent in the absence of any stabilizing agents. | 08-11-2011 |
20120003395 | METHOD OF FABRICATING AN ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE USING ULTRAFAST PULSED LASER DEPOSITION - A method of fabricating a multi-layered thin film electrochemical device is provided. The method comprises: providing a first target material in a chamber; providing a substrate in the chamber; emitting a first intermittent laser beam directed at the first target material to generate a first plasma, wherein each pulse of the first intermittent laser beam has a pulse duration of about 20 fs to about 500 ps; depositing the first plasma on the substrate to form a first thin film; providing a second target material in the chamber; emitting a second intermittent laser beam directed at the second target material to generate a second plasma, wherein each pulse of the second intermittent laser beam has a pulse duration of about 20 fs to about 500 ps; and depositing the second plasma on or above the first thin film to form a second thin film. | 01-05-2012 |
20120097224 | NON-VACUUM METHOD FOR FABRICATION OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC ABSORBER LAYER - The present invention provides a non-vacuum method of depositing a photovoltaic absorber layer based on electrophoretic deposition of a mixture of nanoparticles with a controlled atomic ratio between the elements. The nanoparticles are first dispersed in a liquid medium to form a colloidal suspension and then electrophoretically deposited onto a substrate to form a thin film photovoltaic absorber layer. The absorber layer may be subjected to optional post-deposition treatments for photovoltaic absorption. | 04-26-2012 |
20120098032 | NON-VACUUM METHOD FOR FABRICATION OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC ABSORBER LAYER - The present invention provides a non-vacuum method of depositing a photovoltaic absorber layer based on electrophoretic deposition of a mixture of nanoparticles with a controlled atomic ratio between the elements. The nanoparticles are first dispersed in a liquid medium to form a colloidal suspension and then electrophoretically deposited onto a substrate to form a thin film photovoltaic absorber layer. The absorber layer may be subjected to optional post-deposition treatments for photovoltaic absorption. | 04-26-2012 |
20120140378 | RECHARGEABLE ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE - A rechargeable energy storage device is disclosed. In at least one embodiment the energy storage device includes an air electrode providing an electrochemical process comprising reduction and evolution of oxygen and a capacitive electrode enables an electrode process consisting of non-faradic reactions based on ion absorption/desorption and/or faradic reactions. This rechargeable energy storage device is a hybrid system of fuel cells and ultracapacitors, pseudocapacitors, and/or secondary batteries. | 06-07-2012 |
20120148756 | METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOUND NANORODS AND THIN FILMS - A method of producing compound nanorods and thin films under a controlled growth mode is described. The method involves ablating compound targets using an ultrafast pulsed laser and depositing the ablated materials onto a substrate. When producing compound nanorods, external catalysts such as pre-deposited metal nanoparticles are not involved. Instead, at the beginning of deposition, simply by varying the fluence at the focal spot on the target, a self-formed seed layer can be introduced for nanorods growth. This provides a simple method of producing high purity nanorods and controlling the growth mode. Three growth modes are covered by the present invention, including nanorod growth, thin film growth, and nano-porous film growth. | 06-14-2012 |
20120168669 | COMPOSITE NANOPARTICLES AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME - A composite nanoparticle, for example a nanoparticle containing one or a plurality of cores embedded in another material. A composite nanoparticle can be formed by a one step process that includes: ejecting material from a bulk target material using physical energy source, with the bulk target material disposed in a liquid. Composite nanoparticles are formed by cooling at least a portion of the ejected material in the liquid. The composite fine particles may then be collected from the liquid. A product that includes composite fine particles may be formed with laser ablation, and ultrashort laser ablation may be utilized so as to preserve composite nanoparticle stoichiometry. For applications of the composite fine particles, optical properties and/or magnetic properties may be exploited for various applications. | 07-05-2012 |
20120225021 | STABLE COLLOIDAL GOLD NANOPARTICLES WITH CONTROLLABLE SURFACE MODIFICATION AND FUNCTIONALIZATION - In the present invention, a method of producing stable bare colloidal gold nanoparticles is disclosed. The nanoparticles can subsequently be subjected to partial or full surface modification. The method comprises preparation of colloidal gold nanoparticles in a liquid by employing a top-down nanofabrication method using bulk gold as a source material. The surface modification of these nanoparticles is carried out by adding one or multiple types of ligands each containing functional groups which exhibit affinity for gold nanoparticle surfaces to produce the conjugates. Because of the high efficiency and excellent stability of the nanoparticles produced by this method, the fabricated gold nanoparticle conjugates can have surface coverage with functional ligands which can be tuned to be any percent value between 0 and 100%. | 09-06-2012 |
20120237828 | NANOARCHITECTURED MULTI-COMPONENT ELECTRODE MATERIALS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME - At least one embodiment of the present invention provides preparation methods and compositions for nanoarchitectured multi-component materials based on carbon-coated iron-molybdenum mixed oxide as the electrode material for energy storage devices. A sol-gel process containing soluble organics is a preferred method. The soluble organics could become a carbon coating for the mixed oxide after thermal decomposition. The existence of the carbon coating provides the mixed oxide with an advantage in cycling stability over the corresponding carbon-free mixed oxide. For the carbon-coated mixed oxide, a stable cycling stability at high charge/discharge rate (3A/g) can be obtained with Mo/Fe molar ratios ≧1/3. The cycling stability and rate capability could be tuned by incorporating a structural additive such as Al | 09-20-2012 |
20120242987 | SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SCATTERING APPARATUS AND METHODS - An apparatus for performing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is disclosed wherein an inner surface of a container is coated with SERS active materials such as nanoparticles of noble metals. Such a container can provide a partially enclosed, optical diffuse cavity whose inner surfaces serve for dual purposes of enhancing Raman scattering of the contained analyte and optical integration, therefore improving the efficiency of optical excitation and signal collection. The container may be configured to isolate the SERS active material from the external environment. The container, which may be a cylindrical tube, may be referred to as a SERS tube. Methods of coating the inner wall of a container with pulsed laser ablation and with nanoparticle colloids, respectively, are disclosed. | 09-27-2012 |
20120282134 | PRODUCTION OF METAL AND METAL-ALLOY NANOPARTICLES WITH HIGH REPETITION RATE ULTRAFAST PULSED LASER ABLATION IN LIQUIDS - Various embodiments include a method of producing chemically pure and stably dispersed metal and metal-alloy nanoparticle colloids with ultrafast pulsed laser ablation. A method comprises irradiating a metal or metal alloy target submerged in a liquid with ultrashort laser pulses at a high repetition rate, cooling a portion of the liquid that includes an irradiated region, and collecting nanoparticles produced with the laser irradiation and liquid cooling. The method may be implemented with a high repetition rate ultrafast pulsed laser source, an optical system for focusing and moving the pulsed laser beams, a metal or metal alloy target submerged in a liquid, and a liquid circulating system to cool the laser focal volume and collect the nanoparticle products. By controlling various laser parameters, and with optional liquid flow movement, the method provides stable colloids of dispersed metal and metal-alloy nanoparticles. In various embodiments additional stabilizing chemical agents are not required. | 11-08-2012 |
20130150231 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ORDERED INTERMETALLIC CATALYSTS - At least one embodiment includes a method for fabricating a catalyst comprising a colloidal suspension of nanoparticles, the nanoparticles comprising intermetallics of two or more metals exhibiting long range superlattice crystal ordering. The method comprising the steps of: producing a bulk target of the intermetallics of two or more metals exhibiting long range crystal ordering and submerging the target in a solvent. A pulsed laser is used to ablate bulk target material and to produce nanoparticle of the intermetallics of two or more metals exhibiting long range crystal ordering. At least one embodiment includes a catalyst made with the method. The catalyst can exhibit some desirable properties. For example, the catalyst may remain suspended in solution, essentially without surface modification by ionic compounds. Furthermore, the concentration of elements other than those which comprise the solvent or the intermetallic compound may be less than about 1 ppm. | 06-13-2013 |
20130189793 | Stable Colloidal Suspensions Of Gold Nanoconjugates And The Method For Preparing The Same - In the present invention, a method for determining the stability threshold amount of a stabilizer component for gold nanoparticles to prevent their aggregation in any electrolyte solution, is disclosed. The method permits for very low levels of stabilizer components to be used while still permitting conjugation with other functional ligands. The method comprises preparation of stable gold nanoparticles conjugated with different amount of stabilizing agents in deionized water first and then testing the stability of colloidal suspension of these gold nanoparticles in the presence of the electrolyte solution by monitoring the absorbance at 520 nm. The invention also comprises a method for fabrication of nanoconjugates comprising gold nanoparticles and only the stabilizer components or comprising gold nanoparticles, stabilizer components and functional ligands, which are stable in the presence of electrolytes. | 07-25-2013 |
20130243874 | NANOPARTICLES COATED WITH AMPHIPHILIC BLOCK COPOLYMERS - The present provides amphiphilic block copolymer coated surfaces (e.g., nanoparticles, medical devices, etc.) and methods of preparing such surfaces. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides amphiphilic block copolymer coated single dispersed nanoparticles, which are stable in buffer (e.g., PBS) and have neutral but functionable surfaces, and methods of preparing the same. | 09-19-2013 |
20130244100 | IRON PHOSPHATES: NEGATIVE ELECTRODE MATERIALS FOR AQUEOUS RECHARGEABLE SODIUM ION ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES - Various embodiments of the present invention relate to electrode materials based on iron phosphates that can be used as the negative electrode materials for aqueous sodium ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors. At least one embodiment includes a negative electrode material for an aqueous sodium ion based energy storage device. The negative electrode material with a non-olivine crystal structure includes at least one phosphate selected from iron hydroxyl phosphate, Na | 09-19-2013 |
20130327987 | Production Of Fine Particles Of Functional Ceramic By Using Pulsed Laser - A method of forming nanometer sized fine particles of functional ceramic from a bulk functional ceramic, particularly fine particles of phosphorous ceramics from a bulk phosphor material is disclosed. The method relies on irradiation of a bulk phosphorous ceramic in a liquid with an ultrashort-pulsed-laser-fragmentation beam to thereby form nanometer sized particles of the phosphorous ceramic. The method is unique in that the generated particles retain the chemical and crystalline properties of the bulk phosphorous ceramic. The generated solutions are stable colloids from which the particles can be isolated or used as is. | 12-12-2013 |
20140017416 | P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR ZINC OXIDE FILMS PROCESS FOR PREPARATION THEREOF, AND PULSED LASER DEPOSITION METHOD USING TRANSPARENT SUBSTRATES - A p-type semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) film and a process for preparing the film are disclosed. The film is co-doped with phosphorous (P) and lithium (Li). A pulsed laser deposition scheme is described for use in growing the film. Further described is a process of pulsed laser deposition using transparent substrates which includes a pulsed laser source, a substrate that is transparent at the wavelength of the pulsed laser, and a multi-target system. The optical path of the pulsed laser is arranged in such a way that the pulsed laser is incident from the back of the substrate, passes through the substrate, and then focuses on the target. By translating the substrate towards the target, this geometric arrangement enables deposition of small features utilizing the root of the ablation plume, which can exist in a one-dimensional transition stage along the target surface normal, before the angular width of the plume is broadened by three-dimensional adiabatic expansion. This can provide small deposition feature sizes, which can be similar in size to the laser focal spot, and provides a novel method for direct deposition of patterned materials. | 01-16-2014 |
20140093744 | METHOD FOR DEPOSITING CRYSTALLINE TITANIA NANOPARTICLES AND FILMS - A one-step and room-temperature process for depositing nanoparticles or nanocomposite (nanoparticle-assembled) films of metal oxides such as crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO | 04-03-2014 |
20140161998 | PULSED LASER MICRO-DEPOSITION PATTERN FORMATION - A method of forming patterns on transparent substrates using a pulsed laser is disclosed. Various embodiments include an ultrashort pulsed laser, a substrate that is transparent to the laser wavelength, and a target plate. The laser beam is guided through the transparent substrate and focused on the target surface. The target material is ablated by the laser and is deposited on the opposite substrate surface. A pattern, for example a gray scale image, is formed by scanning the laser beam relative to the target. Variations of the laser beam scan speed and scan line density control the material deposition and change the optical properties of the deposited patterns, creating a visual effect of gray scale. In some embodiments patterns may be formed on a portion of a microelectronic device during a fabrication process. In some embodiments high repetition rate picoseconds and nanosecond sources are configured to produce the patterns. | 06-12-2014 |
20140170070 | STABLE COLLOIDAL GOLD NANOPARTICLES WITH CONTROLLABLE SURFACE MODIFICATION AND FUNCTIONALIZATION - In the present invention, a method of producing stable bare colloidal gold nanoparticles is disclosed. The nanoparticles can subsequently be subjected to partial or full surface modification. The method comprises preparation of colloidal gold nanoparticles in a liquid by employing a top-down nanofabrication method using bulk gold as a source material. The surface modification of these nanoparticles is carried out by adding one or multiple types of ligands each containing functional groups which exhibit affinity for gold nanoparticle surfaces to produce the conjugates. Because of the high efficiency and excellent stability of the nanoparticles produced by this method, the fabricated gold nanoparticle conjugates can have surface coverage with functional ligands which can be tuned to be any percent value between 0 and 100%. | 06-19-2014 |
20140170476 | NEGATIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL FOR ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - The described embodiments provide an energy storage device that includes a positive electrode including an active material that can store and release ions, a negative electrode including an active material that is a lithiated nano-architectured active material including tin and at least one stress-buffer component, and a non-aqueous electrolyte including lithium. The negative electrode active material is nano-architectured before lithiation. | 06-19-2014 |
20140248531 | NEGATIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL FOR ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - The described embodiments provide an energy storage device that includes a positive electrode including a material that stores and releases ion, a negative electrode including Nb-doped TiO | 09-04-2014 |
20140296551 | CONJUGATED GOLD NANOPARTICLES - The present invention relates to methods, compositions, and kits for generating conjugated gold nanoparticles. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides methods of generating unsaturated conjugated gold nanoparticles by mixing naked gold nanoparticles with a first type of attachment molecules at a molar ratio such that the attachment molecules attach to the naked gold particles at a density level below the saturation level of the naked gold particles (e.g., at a saturation level of 1-99%). In some embodiments, a second type of attachment molecules (e.g., with the opposite charge as the first type of attachment molecules) are mixed with the unsaturated conjugated gold nanoparticles to generate double-conjugated gold nanoparticles (e.g., that are zwitterionic) | 10-02-2014 |