US Patent 8212236 - II-VI core-shell doped nanowires

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8212236.html

This patent from Eastman Kodak includes basic claims for doped core-shell nanowires formed from II-VI semiconductor materials used in applications including LEDs and lasers. Claim 1 reads:

1. A plurality of core-shell semiconductor nanowires each being fixed to a support includes II-VI materials for both the cores and the shells;

further including dopants in the core or shell or both of the nanowires which modify the conductivity of the nanowires; and

wherein the dopants are n-type and are selected from Al, In, Ga, Cl, Br or I.

US Patent 7906354 - Light emitting nanowire device

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7906354.html

Over the past several years a few different designs have been proposed to use vertical semiconductor nanowire arrays to form LEDs and facilitate the use of inexpensive substrates such as glass for the LEDs. This patent from Eastman Kodak teaches one alternative suggested to provide easier electrical contacts for the nanowires. Claim 1 reads:

14. An integrated light emitting nanowire device comprising:

(a) a plurality of spaced light emitting semiconductor nanowires each having top and bottom surfaces;

(b) dielectric material disposed between the spaced light emitting semiconductor nanowires;

(c) a first electrode in direct contact with the top surface of the nanowires;

(d) a conductive connection layer in contact with the first electrode;

(e) a second electrode in direct contact with the bottom surface of the nanowires;

(f) a device substrate in contact with the conductive connection layer; and

(g) either the first or second electrode is transparent to permit light to be transmitted through the transparent electrode.

US Patent 7796123 - Touchscreen with CNT conductive layers

http://ip.com/patent/US7796123

This patent from Kodak teaches a way to form roll-to-roll manufacturable touchscreen display electrodes based on single walled carbon nanotubes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A touchscreen comprising touch side and device side electrodes wherein each electrode comprises in order an insulating substrate, an exposed electrically conductive layer, wherein said exposed electrically conductive layers are adjacent and separated by dielectric spacers, and wherein said exposed electrically conductive layers comprise single wall carbon nanotubes and wherein said carbon nanotubes comprise covalently attached hydrophilic species.

US Patent 7777233 - Non-blinking quantum dots

http://ip.com/patent/US7777233

Quantum dots are usually fabricated either by self-assembly methods on a substrate by epitaxial growth or in solution by colloidal synthesis. The colloidal quantum dots have the advantage of low cost deposition processes but have demonstrated a "blinking" problem related to intermittent emission which is not found in epitaxially grown quantum dot films. This patent from Kodak teaches a type of colloidal quantum dots which can avoid the blinking problem. Claim 1 reads:

1. An optoelectronic device comprising:

(a) two spaced apart electrodes; and

(b) at least one layer containing ternary core/shell nanocrystals disposed between the spaced electrodes and having ternary semiconductor cores containing a gradient in alloy composition and wherein the ternary core/shell nanocrystals exhibit single molecule non-blinking behavior characterized by on times greater than one minute or radiative lifetimes less than 10 ns.

US Patent 7745101 - Nanoparticle liftoff patterning

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7745101.html

Lift-off is a process used in microfabrication involving the additive patterning of thin films. This patent from Eastman Kodak teaches a similar method for patterning metal nanoparticles. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of making a metallic pattern comprising:

depositing a layer of photoresist on a substrate;

forming a pattern of opening in said photoresist;

depositing a layer of metal nanoparticles on said photoresist and on said pattern;

removing said photoresist and overlying metal nanoparticles on said photoresist; and

sintering the remaining said nanoparticles to form a metallic pattern.

US Patent 7615800 - Quantum dot light emitting layer with nanoparticle conductive paths

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7615800.html

This patent from Eastman Kodak teaches integrating two types of nanomaterials - 1) luminescent quantum dots and 2) electrically conductive nanopartilces in order to produce an inorganic LED film with enhanced brightness. Claim 1 reads:

1. An inorganic light emitting layer comprising:

(a) a plurality of light emitting cores, each core having a semiconductor material that emits light in response to recombination of holes and electrons, each such light emitting core defining a first bandgap;

(b) a semiconductor shell formed completely around each light emitting core to form core/shell quantum dots, each such semiconductor shell having a second bandgap wider than the first bandgap; and

(c) a semiconductor matrix including separate inorganic nanoparticles made of Type IV, III-V, or II-VI semiconductor material connected to the semiconductor shells to provide a conductive path through the semiconductor matrix and to each such semiconductor shell and its corresponding light emitting core so as to permit the recombination of holes and electrons, the inorganic nanoparticles having a different composition from that of the core/shell quantum dots.