Intellectual Property Law

US Patent 7678495 - Graphitic nanostructured battery

Posted on March 18, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7678495.htmlIn order to increase the efficiency of lithium batteries this patent from Alcatel-Lucent teaches forming graphitic nanoposts as the electrode material. Claim 1 reads:1. A battery, comprising:an electrolyte fluid; anda first electrode formed at least in part from a patterned plurality of nanostructured features on a substrate,the nanostructured features each including graphitic carbon,the electrolyte fluid being in contact with a surface formed by the patterned plurality of nanostructured features, andthe electrolyte fluid being disposed between the first electrode and a second electrode;wherein the patterned plurality of nanostructured features, in addition to forming at least a part of the first electrode, enables controllable penetration of the electrolyte fluid through the surface and into contact with the substrate of the first electrode.

US Patent 7677254 - Cigarettes including iron oxynitride nanoparticles

Posted on March 18, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7677254.htmlThis patent from Philip Morris teaches iron oxynitride nanoparticles used to reduce carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in cigarette smoke. Claim 1 reads: 1. A component of a smoking article comprisingnitrided transition metal oxide nanoscale particles and/or nitrided transition metal oxide clusters,wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of tobacco cut filler, cigarette paper and cigarette filter material, andwherein the nanoscale particles and/or clusters comprise iron oxynitride.

US Patent 7675766 - Ion conductor memristor

Posted on March 14, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7675766.htmlMemristors are nanoscale circuit elements which use ionic transport in thin films to create a resistance switching effect. This patent from Axon Technologies has priority going back to 2000 and includes some basic claims to ion conductor memrstors...

US Patent 7675163 - Semiconductor housing including CNT cooling

Posted on March 11, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7675163.htmlA variety of companies such as Intel (US Patent 7335983) and Hon Hai Precision (US Patent 7303001) have proposed systems using carbon nanotubes to assist in cooling semiconductor packages. This latest variation is from Sun Microsystems and uses a fluid flow to assist thermal transport...

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US Patent 7675071 - Nanorod BJT light emitter

Posted on March 11, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7675071.htmlThis patent from Samsung teaches an optical switching transistor using nanorods to enhance light emission efficiency. Claim 1 reads:1. A light emitting transistor comprising: a first conductivity-type collector layer formed on a substrate; a second conductivity-type base layer formed on the collector layer; anda first conductivity-type emitter layer formed on the base layer, wherein at least one of the collector layer, the base layer, and the emitter layer has a nanorod structure with a plurality of nanorods as low-dimensional nanostructure, wherein the light emitting transistor has a bipolar junction structure, and is amplified or is switched in accordance with a bias direction of each layer...

US Patent 7674628 - Photoacoustic chemical sensor using nanoparticles

Posted on March 11, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7674628.htmlPhotoacoustic sensing uses an effect in which an infrared laser emitted on a particular material produces sound. This patent from Applied Nanotech teaches using nanoparticles to enhance this effect. Claim 1 reads: 1...

US Patent 7674526 - Fabrication of nanoscale zero-valent metal

Posted on March 10, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7674526.htmlThis patent teaches a manufacturing method for nanomaterials useful to treat waste water. Claim 1 reads:1. A process for producing a nanoscale zero-valent metal, said process includingreduction of a metal ion solution with a dithionite compound,wherein said reduction is carried out under alkaline conditions and under a substantially inert atmosphere.

US Patent 7674447 - CNT-biopolymer electrical connector

Posted on March 10, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7674447.htmlThis patent is from Fuji Xerox and teaches a new type of bioelectronic interconnect for nanoscale circuitry. Claim 1 reads:1. An electrical connection structure comprisingplural carbon nanotubes provided as electrodes, anda biopolymer,wherein carbon atoms of graphene sheets of the plural carbon nanotubes and the biopolymer are directly fixed with each other at an arbitrary portion of the biopolymer in a stable electrically connected statewherein the biopolymer is one of DNA and RNA;the electrodes are in contact with a portion of the biopolymer, andwherein the electrodes include Na+ ions diffused inside of the carbon nanotubes...

US Patent 7674389 - Low energy e-beam shaping of nanodevice

Posted on March 10, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7674389.htmlThis patent assigned to the University of California teaches a technique using a focused electron to shape nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes for applications such as atomic force microscopy. Claim 1 reads: 1...

US Patent 7671612 - Integrated compound nanoprobe card

Posted on March 04, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7671612.htmlThe electrical testing of semiconductor wafers often involves probe cards which are used to establish an electrical path between a test circuit and the semiconductor. In the past the test pins of the probe cards have been limited to a pitch > 50 microns when using conventional manufacturing techniques...

US Patent 7671398 - Hybrid stacked nanomemory

Posted on March 04, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7671398.htmlThis patent suggests the integration of molecular memory arrays with more conventional memory cells. Claim 1 reads:1. A nano device, comprising:a. a first array of memory elements including ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, DRAM, SRAM, MRAM, FRAM, or SMM;b...

US Patent 7671306 - Laser ablative synthesis of CNTs

Posted on March 04, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7671306.htmlThis patent is from Jefferson Science Associates and teaches a method to increase the production volume of carbon nanotubes formed using laser ablation. 1. A method for the production of carbon nanotubes comprising:ablating a rotating and translating graphite-catalyst target at elevated temperature with a laser beam produced by a free electron laser producing a 700 W beam at a 9 MHz repetition rate with a 0...

US Patent 7670588 - Hydrogen storage with carbon nanospheres

Posted on March 03, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7670588.htmlFullerene molecules have been suggested for fuel cell hydrogen storage for several years. This patent from Headwaters Technology Innovation teaches a multilayer fullerene structure for improving the amount of hydrogen that can be stored...

US Patent 7670581 - Manufacture of light emitting nanoparticles

Posted on March 03, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7670581.htmlThis patent has some early priority going back to 2001 and includes some basic claims to the manufacture of nanoparticles for use in LEDs and electronic displays. Claim 1 reads:1. A method for making nanoparticles, comprising:providing an organometallic material selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium and tin, disposed in a fluidic medium comprising a material selected from the group consisting of alcohols, amines and thiols, andthermally decomposing the organometallic material to form nanoparticles...

US Patent 7670509 - Silica nanofiber derived from polymer filament

Posted on March 03, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7670509.htmlThis patent is from Kawamura Institute of Chemical Research and teaches a nanofiber fabrication method which may help improve the speed and yield of production. Claim 1 reads:1. A composite nanofiber comprising:at least one kind of metal or metal ions and a polymer including straight chain polyethyleneimine backbones in a silica nanofiber,wherein a content of the silica is within a range from 30 to 80% by mass, and the nanofiber has a thickness within a range from 15 to 100 nm...

US Patent 7667593 - Nanodetectors for cargo containers

Posted on March 01, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7667593.htmlThis patent teaches applying nanodetectors to detect and transmit information on any harmful materials found in cargo containers. However, the specification appears very vague as to specific details of the nanodetectors used which may raise 35 USC 112 issues during litigation...

US Patent 7667570 - Nanostructured combination key-lock

Posted on March 01, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7667570.htmlThis patent from Lockheed Martin proposes a new type of application for nanostructured materials as a replacement for magnetic strips used in key cards. Claim 1 reads: 1. A lock deactivating or activating mechanism comprising:a sensor detecting a friction force pattern generated from sliding a first nanopatterned surface comprising a key past a second nanopatterned surface comprising a lock element,said friction force pattern resulting from changes in distance between said first and second nanopatterned surfaces; anda controller receiving output from said sensor and comparing same to stored values.

US Patent 7667296 - Semiconductor nanowire capacitor

Posted on March 01, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7667296.htmlA variety of approaches have been suggested in the last few years to incorporate nanostructures into capacitive structures to increase energy storage and integration density. This patent from Nanosys has relatively early priority (3/23/2004) and teaches using semiconductor nanowires to form varactor diode capacitor structures for use in tuning oscillators and filters...

US Patent 7667260 - Nanorod floating gate memory cell

Posted on February 28, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7667260.htmlIn order to continue the scaling of flash memory there has been an increase in patents which incorporate nanostructures in memory cell design. This latest patent from Micron teaches a structure which reduced parasitic capacitance effects using a nanorod floating gate...

US Patent 7666939 - Stable CNT dispersion in polymer

Posted on February 28, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7666939.htmlA variety of techniques have been employed to uniformly disperse carbon nanotubes in polymers. However, over days or weeks it has been observed that phase separation of the nanotubes and polymer occurs indicating thermodynamic instability...

US Patent 7666708 - Uniform nanowire growth

Posted on February 28, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7666708.htmlThis patent from the Lieber Research Group of Harvard has relatively early priority (~2000) and includes some basic claims to the fabrication and structure of doped nanowire semiconductors. Claim 1 reads: 1...

US Patent 7666494 - Metal nanoparticle transfer sheet

Posted on February 25, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7666494.htmlArrays of metal nanoparticles have been used in applications such as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, magnetic storage, and as catalysts for the formation of nanowires or nanotubes on a substrate. This patent from 3M teaches an article to facilitate the transfer of metal nanoparticles onto substrates...

US Patent 7666465 - Nanotube in trench fabrication

Posted on February 25, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7666465.htmlThis patent from Intel teaches an approach to incorporate nanotubes in a semiconductor substrate along the length of openings formed in the substrate. Claim 1 reads:1. A method of forming a structure comprising:providing a substrate comprising at least one opening; andapplying a nanotube slurry comprising at least one nanotube to the substrate by utilizing a mechanical process,wherein the at least one nanotube is substantially placed within the at least one opening, andwherein a length of the at least one nanotube is oriented substantially parallel with a length of the at least one opening.

US Patent 7666382 - CNT applicator liquid

Posted on February 25, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7666382.htmlNantero is a leading company in developing techniques to incorporate carbon nanotubes into microelectronic systems. This latest patent is fundamental to an applicator liquid producing nanotube films suitable for microfabrication...

US Patent 7666051 - Field emission cloth using nanostructures

Posted on February 24, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7666051.htmlCarbon nanomaterials have been proposed to create electron emission devices by companies including Applied Nanotech, Canon, and Samsung. This patent from Boston College teaches a way to of growing such nanomaterials directly from a carbon cloth achieving emission current densities of 1mA/cm2 at a field of 0...

US Patent 7665985 - CNT ignition mixture

Posted on February 24, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7665985.htmlSpark igniters are most commonly used for ignition systems used in many combustion processes. However, it is often desirable to have multiple ignition points throughout the combustion volume to improve efficiency and reduce engine size...

US Patent 7665672 - Anti-static liner using conductive nanofiber

Posted on February 24, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7665672.htmlThis patent is from Illinois Tool Works and teaches a liner for spray paint and other fluid applicators which uses conductive nanofibers to remove static and generate more uniform coatings. Claim 1 reads:1...

US Patent 7663057 - CIGS nanoparticle ink for photovoltaics

Posted on February 22, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7663057.htmlThis latest patent from Nanosolar teaches the production of a higher quality solar energy absorber using nanoparticle ink. Claim 1 reads:1. A method comprising:providing a suspension comprised of one or more liquid metals, wherein the one or more liquid metals comprises at least one group IIIA based material;providing a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles comprise at least one group IB based material; andmixing the nanoparticles and the suspension to form an ink configured to be processed in one or more steps into a photovoltaic absorber layer...

US Patent 7663226 - CNT solder resist

Posted on February 22, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7663226.htmlThis patent from Samsung teaches increasing the thermal conductivity of solder used in PCBs by incorporating carbon nanotubes. Claim 5 reads:5. A semiconductor chip package comprising:a semiconductor chip;an insulation layer configured to have the semiconductor chip mounted thereon and having a circuit pattern formed on a surface thereof; anda solder resist stacked on the insulation layer, wherein the solder resist contains carbon nanotubes...

US Patent 7663202 - Nanowire photodiode

Posted on February 22, 2010
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7663202.htmlThis patent from HP teaches a way to integrate fiber optics technology with semiconductor nanowires in order to create nanoscale photodiodes. Claim 1 reads:1. A nanowire photodiode, comprising:a first optical waveguide comprising a tapered first end including a first tip;a second optical waveguide comprising a tapered second end including a second tip spaced from the first tip; andat least one nanowire comprising at least one semiconductor material, the nanowire connecting the first tip and the second tip in a bridging configuration.

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