US Patent 8119985 - Statistical characterization of nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8119985.html

Scanning probe microscopes and electron microscopes are common tools used to study nanoparticles but these instruments are too slow to determine the statistical properties (such as size distribution) of nanoparticle arrays .This patent from FEI Company teaches an new method which may provide more rapid characterization. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of determining properties of nano-particles, comprising:

forming a charge pattern on a substrate;

distributing nano-particles onto the charge pattern, the charge pattern causing the nano-particles to spread across the surface of the substrate; and

measuring a property of a plurality of nano-particles to determine statistical characteristics of the nano-particle population by:

forming an image of the nano-particle population on the substrate; and

using automated pattern recognition software to find and characterize the nano-particles in which measuring a property of a plurality of nano-particles to determine statistical characteristics of the nano-particle population includes measuring more than 25 nano-particles.