Tuesday, January 09, 2007

US Patent 7160169 - Photolithography of Carbon Nanotube Emitters

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7160169.pdf

Electron emission from carbon nanotube arrays are currently being applied in flat panel displays by a number of different companies such as Samsung and Canon. This patent from Samsung teaches how to use conventional optical lithography processes to the mass production capabilities of such nanotube arrays. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of manufacturing carbon nanotube emitters, the method comprising: forming a carbon nanotube layer on a substrate on which a plurality of electrodes are formed; coating a photoresist on the carbon nanotube layer; patterning the photoresist such that the photoresist only remains above the electrodes; removing an exposed portion of the carbon nanotube layer by etching using the patterned photoresist as a etch mask; and removing the patterned photoresist and forming the carbon nanotube emitters on the electrodes.