US Patent 8183945 - Nanowire oscillator

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8183945.html

In order to miniaturize some applications such as such as gas-phase chemical sensors, molecular force sensors and mass spectrometers to the nanoscale it is necessary to build nanoscale oscillators. This patent from Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique teaches one such oscillator built from nanowire structures. Claim 1 reads:

1. An oscillator comprising:

a first set of a multiple of four sub-assemblies connected in series in a closed loop, each sub-assembly comprising:

one nanowire constituting an electromechanical resonator with a first terminal connected to a first supply voltage and a second terminal constituting an output terminal of the sub-assembly, and

excitation means of the resonator with an input terminal constituting an excitation terminal of the sub-assembly,

wherein, the output terminal of each sub-assembly is grounded by means of a corresponding resistive circuit and is connected to the excitation terminal of the following sub-assembly; and

an output terminal formed by an output terminal of one of the sub-assemblies.                             

US Patent 8137442 - Producing nanoporous layer of nanoparticles

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This patent from France's Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique teaches a method to simplify manufacturing of relatively high thickness (>10 microns) nanoporous films for corrosion resistant coatings. Claim 1 reads:

1. A process for producing at least one nanoporous layer of nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of nanoparticles of a metal oxide, nanoparticles of metal oxides, and mixtures of said nanoparticles, on a surface of a substrate,

wherein at least one colloidal sol, in which said nanoparticles are dispersed and stabilized, is injected into a thermal plasma jet that sprays said nanoparticles onto said surface, wherein the nanoparticles have a size of 1 to 500 nm.

US Patent 8097233 - Synthesis of nanoparticles by laser pyrolysis

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This patent teaches a laser pyrolysis manufacturing method of nanoparticles which is suggested to provide the advantages of more uniform nanoparticle sizes with a higher hourly yield. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for synthesizing nanoparticles by laser pyrolysis, in which at least one precursor interacts, in the vapor phase, with a laser beam in a pyrolysis reactor to produce nanoparticles, wherein the precursor is:

first in the liquid phase, then, converted to the vapor phase in an evaporator, before injection into the reactor, and

wherein a flow rate of the precursor in the liquid phase is controlled for continuous injection into the reactor,

wherein the precursor in the liquid phase has a flow rate that is substantially continuous and controlled by a mass flow controller.

US Patent 8088674 - Horizontal single crystal nanowire growth

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8088674.html

Nanowire transistor designs based on vertically grown nanowires have been proposed but are incompatible with common transistor structures in which the channel is parallel to the silicon substrate. This patent teaches one method for growing semiconductor nanowires laterally which may provide better compatibility with conventional transistor manufacture. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of growing a nanowire made from single-crystal semi-conductor material, comprising successively:

providing a substrate with two electrodes made from metallic material on a layer of dielectric material, one of the electrodes comprising a layer of catalyst directly in contact with the layer of dielectric material; and

growing the nanowire made from single-crystal semi-conductor material by means of the catalyst, the nanowire growing in contact with the dielectric material and with a diameter equal to a thickness of the layer of catalyst.

US Patent 8003881 - Electron donor polymer nanofibrils for photovoltaics

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This patent from the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique teaches a solution-based process for forming photovoltaic cells from polymer nanofibrils without requiring annealing. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of preparing a polymeric composition with photovoltaic properties, comprising

a step of blending, in a solvent encouraging the production of nanofibrils, at least one electron donor type semiconductor polymeric material essentially in the form of the nanofibrils and at least one electron acceptor type material in the solvent,

said nanofibrils representing 50% to 93% by weight of the electron donor type semiconductor polymeric material.

US Patent 7940477 - Solid immersion lens with nanowire focusing

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7940477.html

In order to increase the physical resolution limit of optical microscopes one technique is to immerse the optics in a high index refractive liquid to increase the maximum numerical aperture. This patent teaches an additional technique in which a nanowire structure is used at the optical focal point to generate near field effects. Claim 1 reads:

1. A solid immersion lens for optical applications,

which comprises a spherical sector bounded by a plane surface,

wherein a wire or tube of cylindrical shape made of a semiconductor material, the generatrices of which are perpendicular to the plane surface and at least one dimension of which is of nanoscale, is placed on the plane surface at the focal point of said solid immersion lens.

US Patent 7868243 - Nanowire thermoelectric converter

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Thermoelectric devices can be implemented with solid-state materials to provide electrically controlled cooling without moving parts. This patent teaches a way to implement thermoelectric cooling on the nanoscale using p-doped and n-doped nanowires. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanostructure comprising:

a plurality of first nanowires, wherein:

each first nanowire is made of doped semi-conducting material of a first type;

each first nanowire includes an associated second nanowire made of doped semi-conducting material of a second type, wherein one of the first and second type is p-doped and the other is n-doped;

each first nanowire is coaxial with its associated second nanowire and is separated from its associated second nanowire by an insulating material;

each second nanowire has a tip; and

a droplet is disposed on the tip of each second nanowire so as to individually electrically connect the second nanowire to its associated first nanowire.

US Patent 7719951 - Inclined microtip data recorder

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7719951.html

High density (i.e. >Terabit/cm2) data storage has been demonstrated using scanning probe tips having individual nanotubes fixed or grown onto a cantilever tip. However, using individual scanning probe tips limits the maximum rate of data reading and writing. This patent teaches using arrays of inclined carbon nanotubes tips formed on a flat substrate in order to increase read and write speeds. Claim 1 reads:

1. Data recording device, comprising

a network of carbon nanotubes constituting microtips cooperating with a substantially flat storage medium, device

wherein the carbon nanotubes are formed on a substantially flat substrate that is parallel to the storage medium, and are inclined with respect to the plane of the substrate.

US Patent 7705989 - Surface plasmon nanosensor pads

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This patent teaches a variation of an SPR sensor for detecting biological and chemical specimens. Claim 1 reads:

1. A surface plasmon microsensor or nanosensor for chemical or biological species, comprising:

metallic, cylindrical pads distributed on the surface of a support, the pads having a thickness between 10 nm and 500 nm and configured to immobilize the chemical or biological species, and the pads having a dimension, other than the thickness, that is less than 1 micron.

US Patent 7650049 - Quantum box waveguide modulator

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This patent is from the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and teaches using photonic crystals to modulate the absorption and velocity of optical waves. Claim 1 reads:

1. A modulator comprising:

a waveguide including periodic holes and propagating an electromagnetic wave of given wavelength (λ) with absorption, and further comprising

means adapted to vary an electrical charge population in quantum boxes included in the waveguide so as to modify the residence time of the electromagnetic wave in the waveguide.

US Patent 7453789 - CNT core microtip write/read head

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This patent from the French Atomic Energy Commission teaches forming a carbon nanotube wrapped in an insulating sheath as a read/write needle for ultrahigh density data recording. Claim 1 reads:

1. Data recording device comprising at least one electrically conducting microtip having an end designed to be brought into electric contact with a recording medium, the microtip comprising a longitudinal conducting core having a substantially constant cross-section, device wherein the microtip is surrounded by a sheath made of non-conducting material, so that the free ends of the core and of the sheath are at the same level at the end of the microtip.

US Patent 7323730 - Semiconductor nanowire or nanotube functionalized with photosensitive material

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Much of the research in functionalization of carbon nanotubes has been applied to chemical sensing. This patent from France's Atomic Energy Commision also teaches functionalization of carbon nanotubes (or nanowires) but for optical rather than chemical sensing. Claim 1 reads:

1. A semiconductor device comprising at least two electrodes and at least one nanotube or nanowire, the device including at least one semiconductive nanotube or nanowire having at least one region that is covered at least in part by one to twenty layers of molecules or by nanocrystals of at least one photosensitive material, an electrical connection between said two electrodes being made by said semiconductive nanotube or nanowire and optionally by at least one other nanotube or nanowire.