Sunday, January 07, 2007

US Patent 7157990 - Nanotube RF Fiter

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7157990.pdf

As nanotechnology gradually moves from a basic materials science toward more commercial applications a search for optimum configurations of nanomaterials in electrical, optical and mechanical devices is sought. Currently it is infeasible (or at least extremely difficult) to manufacture devices that use singular nanostructures for such devices, however arrays of oriented nanostructures are being developed in the form of nanotube ribbons (Nantero) or nanowire arrays (Nanosys). This patent from Northrop Grumman Corp. forms a radio frequency filter using an array of nanotubes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A radio frequency (RF) filter, comprising: a substrate; a dielectric layer formed on first and second portions of said substrate; a ground plane formed on a third portion of said substrate, said third portion being at least, in part, between said first and second portions; a carbon nanotube array being formed on a portion of said ground plane between said first and second dielectric layers; and first and second signal guides formed on the first and second dielectric layers, such that an RF signal may be input to and output from said carbon nanotube array via said first and second signal guides.