| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080278731 | COMPOSITE SENSOR MEMBRANE - A sensor may include a membrane to deflect in response to a change in surface stress, where a layer on the membrane is to couple one or more probe molecules with the membrane. The membrane may deflect when a target molecule reacts with one or more probe molecules. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080292840 | Electrically and thermally conductive carbon nanotube or nanofiber array dry adhesive - A two-sided carbon nanostructure thermal interface material having a flexible polymer matrix; an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a first surface of the flexible polymer matrix; and an array of vertically aligned carbon nanostructures on a second surface of the flexible polymer matrix, wherein the first and second surfaces are opposite sides of the flexible polymer matrix. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090011946 | Use of Sequence Specific Polymers in Chemical Detection - A method for chemical detection is provided. In one aspect, the method comprises exposing a sample to a sequence specific polymer under conditions such that an analyte in the sample binds to the polymer. Binding of the analyte to the sequence specific polymer results in a change in a property of the sequence specific polymer that is transduced to a response transduction medium, which generates a detectable response. Another aspect provides a detection device comprising the sequence specific polymer and response transduction medium. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090056917 | NANOSTRUCTURED MICRO HEAT PIPES - A heat pipe comprising a chamber; a wick in the chamber, and a heat sink, which is adjacent to a first portion of the wick. A heat source adjacent to a second portion of the wick, wherein the wick is configured such that a gas condenses at the first portion of the wick and a liquid evaporates at the second portion of the wick. The fluid moves from the first portion of the wick to the second portion of the wick, and wherein the wick comprises nanostructures having a differentially-spaced apart gradient along the length of the wick so as to promote capillary fluid flow therealong. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20100003516 | METHODS OF FABRICATING NANOSTRUCTURES AND NANOWIRES AND DEVICES FABRICATED THEREFROM - One-dimensional nanostructures having uniform diameters of less than approximately 200 nm. These inventive nanostructures, which we refer to as “nanowires”, include single-crystalline homostructures as well as heterostructures of at least two single-crystalline materials having different chemical compositions. Because single-crystalline materials are used to form the heterostructure, the resultant heterostructure will be single-crystalline as well. The nanowire heterostructures are generally based on a semiconducting wire wherein the doping and composition are controlled in either the longitudinal or radial directions, or in both directions, to yield a wire that comprises different materials. Examples of resulting nanowire heterostructures include a longitudinal heterostructure nanowire (LOHN) and a coaxial heterostructure nanowire (COHN). | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100233029 | COMPENSATED MEMBRANE CAPACITIVE BIO-CHEMICAL SENSOR - A sensor having a membrane, which is adapted to deflect in response to a change in surface stress. The membrane has a first and a second surface, which includes a first coating layer on the first surface of the membrane, and a second coating layer on the second surface of the membrane. The first coating layer is adapted to couple one or more probe molecules with the membrane. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20110168968 | FLUIDIC NANOTUBES AND DEVICES - Fluidic nanotube devices are described in which a hydrophilic, non-carbon nanotube, has its ends fluidly coupled to reservoirs. Source and drain contacts are connected to opposing ends of the nanotube, or within each reservoir near the opening of the nanotube. The passage of molecular species can be sensed by measuring current flow (source-drain, ionic, or combination). The tube interior can be functionalized by joining binding molecules so that different molecular species can be sensed by detecting current changes. The nanotube may be a semiconductor, wherein a tubular transistor is formed. A gate electrode can be attached between source and drain to control current flow and ionic flow. By way of example an electrophoretic array embodiment is described, integrating MEMs switches. A variety of applications are described, such as: nanopores, nanocapillary devices, nanoelectrophoretic, DNA sequence detectors, immunosensors, thermoelectric devices, photonic devices, nanoscale fluidic bioseparators, imaging devices, and so forth. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110189500 | Carbon Nanotube Arrays as Thermal Interface Materials - Carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays can be used as a thermal interface materials (TIMs). Using a phase sensitive transient thermo-reflectance (PSTTR) technique, the thermal conductance of the two interfaces on either side of the CNT arrays can be measured. The physically bonded interface has a conductance ˜10 | 08-04-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090277609 | Tunable Thermal Link - Disclosed is a device whereby the thermal conductance of a multiwalled nanostructure such as a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) can be controllably and reversibly tuned by sliding one or more outer shells with respect to the inner core. As one example, the thermal conductance of an MWCNT dropped to 15% of the original value after extending the length of the MWCNT by 190 nm. The thermal conductivity returned when the tube was contracted. The device may comprise numbers of multiwalled nanotubes or other graphitic layers connected to a heat source and a heat drain and various means for tuning the overall thermal conductance for applications in structure heat management, heat flow in nanoscale or microscale devices and thermal logic devices. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090283751 | NANOTUBES AND DEVICES FABRICATED THEREFROM - Nanofluidic devices incorporating inorganic nanotubes fluidly coupled to channels or nanopores for supplying a fluid containing chemical or biochemical species are described. In one aspect, two channels are fluidly interconnected with a nanotube. Electrodes on opposing sides of the nanotube establish electrical contact with the fluid therein. A bias current is passed between the electrodes through the fluid, and current changes are detected to ascertain the passage of select molecules, such as DNA, through the nanotube. In another aspect, a gate electrode is located proximal the nanotube between the two electrodes thus forming a nanofluidic transistor. The voltage applied to the gate controls the passage of ionic species through the nanotube selected as either or both ionic polarities. In either of these aspects the nanotube can be modified, or functionalized, to control the selectivity of detection or passage. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100015526 | Molecular Heterostructures for Energy Conversion and Storage - The present invention provides for a metal-molecule heterostructure comprising (a) a plurality of metal, semimetallic or semiconducting nanoparticles, and (b) a plurality of electrically conductive organic molecules interspersed among the nanoparticles. The metal-molecular heterostructure is useful in a device, such as a thermoelectric energy converter, battery or capacitor. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100051079 | Complex Oxides Useful for Thermoelectric Energy Conversion - The invention provides for a thermoelectric system comprising a substrate comprising a first complex oxide, wherein the substrate is optionally embedded with a second complex oxide. The thermoelectric system can be used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100167004 | SOLID STATE THERMAL RECTIFIER - Thermal rectifiers using linear nanostructures as core thermal conductors have been fabricated. A high mass density material is added preferentially to one end of the nanostructures to produce an axially non-uniform mass distribution. The resulting nanoscale system conducts heat asymmetrically with greatest heat flow in the direction of decreasing mass density. Thermal rectification has been demonstrated for linear nanostructures that are electrical insulators, such as boron nitride nanotubes, and for nanostructures that are conductive, such as carbon nanotubes. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20110114145 | NANOSTRUCTURES HAVING HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES - The invention provides for a nanostructure, or an array of such nanostructures, each comprising a rough surface, and a doped or undoped semiconductor. The nanostructure is an one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructure, such a nanowire, or a two-dimensional (2-D) nanostructure. The nanostructure can be placed between two electrodes and used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling. | 05-19-2011 |