The New Year started off with a bang with regard to patents referencing nanotechnology. 102 U.S. Patents mentioning nanotechnology were granted in the first five days of 2010.
Samsung, which now holds 198 patents that reference carbon nanotubes (CNT), added three to its total of U.S. CNT Patents in the first week of 2009. That continues a noticeable trend of semiconductor manufacturers patenting methods of manufacturing carbon nanotubes as well as using the new wonder stuff to make a variety of micro and nanoscale devices, a material that some Intel scientists have called a “paradigm shift” that could someday lead to the replacement of silicon by carbon as the key material in computer chips.
Samsung snagged U.S. Patent 7,641,883 for its method for separating carbon nanotubes, a method for dispersing carbon nanotubes and solvent compositions used for the methods. Samsung inventors Hyeon Jin Shin, Seonmi Yoon, Jaeyoung Choi, Seong Jae Choi, YoungHee Lee and JungJun Bae say the method for separating carbon nanotubes, consists of manufacturing a solution comprising viologen, carbon nanotubes, water and a non-polar solvent.
The solution is used for performing a phase separation of metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Viologen and the solvent are used to separate the semiconducting carbon nanotubes; and the non-polar solvent is used to separate the metallic carbon nanotubes from the carbon nanotubes.
The solution is used for performing a phase separation of metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Viologen and the solvent are used to separate the semiconducting carbon nanotubes; and the non-polar solvent is used to separate the metallic carbon nanotubes from the carbon nanotubes.
Samsung added a second nanotube patent with U.S. 7,642,540. It describes a phase change random access memory (PRAM), and a method of operating the PRAM. The PRAM is comprised of a switching element and a storage node connected to the switching element, the storage node comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a phase change layer between the first electrode and a second electrode, and a heat efficiency improving element formed between the first electrode and the phase change layer. The heat efficiency improving element may be a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer, a nanoparticle layer, or a nanodot layer,or the nanoparticle layer may be a fullerene layer, according to inventors Sang-mock Lee, Yoon-ho Khang, Jin-seo Noh and Dong-seok Suh.
Samsung also garnered U.S. Patent 7,642,705 for an electron emission device and method to manufacture it. According to intventor Su-Kyung Lee, the electron emission device of the present invention includes at least one anode formed on one side of a substrate, and a light emitter including a plurality of multiple divided phosphor layers formed on the anode at predetermined intervals. At least one of the phosphor layers has at least one partition pattern. The phosphor layer structure of the present invention is capable of maintaining superior color coordinate characteristics and greatly improving luminance characteristics.
Samsung also garnered U.S. Patent 7,642,705 for an electron emission device and method to manufacture it. According to intventor Su-Kyung Lee, the electron emission device of the present invention includes at least one anode formed on one side of a substrate, and a light emitter including a plurality of multiple divided phosphor layers formed on the anode at predetermined intervals. At least one of the phosphor layers has at least one partition pattern. The phosphor layer structure of the present invention is capable of maintaining superior color coordinate characteristics and greatly improving luminance characteristics.
The electron emission materials is composed of a carbon based nanometer-sized material or combination of nanocarbon materials. For example, the carbon based material may include carbon nanotubes, graphite, diamond, diamond-like carbon, C60 (fullerene), and so on; and the nanometer-sized material may be carbon nanotubes, graphite nanofiber, silicon nanowire and so on. The electron emission region may include at least one selected from the group consisting of a carbon nanotubes, graphite, diamond, diamond-like carbon, C60 (fullerene), graphite nanofiber, silicon nanowire and a combination thereof, as an electron emission source
