US Patent 7662732 - Preparation of planar patterned CNT array

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7662732.html

Porous templates such as anodic alumina have frequently been used to form vertically aligned arrays of nanotubes and nanowires for use in applications such as field emission displays and chemical sensors. This patent from Samsung teaches another method involving porous templates to form horizontally aligned carbon nanotube arrays to manufacture transparent electrodes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of preparing a patterned carbon nanotube array, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of porous templates, each of the porous templates including a plurality of hollow channels formed therein;

respectively forming carbon nanotubes in each of the plurality of hollow channels of the porous templates;

arranging the plurality of porous templates including the carbon nanotubes in a predetermined pattern on a surface of a substrate, wherein a longitudinal direction of the plurality of porous templates is disposed substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate; and

selectively removing the plurality of porous templates and exposing the carbon nanotubes on the substrate.