US Patent 7507987 - Trench grown nanotubes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7507987.html

This patent from M.I.T. teaches a method of forming "nanopellets" of carbon nanotubes disposed in blocks of dielectric materials formed in trenches in order to facilitate the handling of carbon nanotube materials of uniform length and spacing. Claim 1 reads:

1. A device comprising:

a silicon substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, with the first surface having a trench provided therein, the trench having a base surface which corresponds to a bottom of the trench and wherein a depth of the trench is defined as a distance between the base surface of the trench and the first surface of the substrate;

a catalyst disposed at a first location on the base surface of the trench;

at least one nanostructure disposed in said trench such that each of said at least one nanostructures projects from the base surface of the trench at the first location with each of said at least one nanostructures having a length at least equal to the depth of the trench; and

a quantity of dielectric filler material disposed in said trench and such that each of said at least one nanostructure is entirely embedded in said quantity of dielectric filler material and such that said quantity of dielectric filler material holds each of said at least one nanostructures in a fixed position within said trench.