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.

US Patent 7544938 - Statistical characterization of nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7544938.html

In order to effectively use nanoparticles it is important to something about the size distribution of the particles. This patent from FEI teaches forming an electrostatic pattern to attract small groups of nanoparticles sufficient to perform statistical analysis. 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

automatically measuring a property of a plurality of nano-particles to determine statistical characteristics of the nano-particle population.

US Patent 7288773 - InAs nanowire field emitter

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7288773.html

This patent, based on a collaboration between FEI company and Philips electronics, teaches a semiconductor field emitter formed from InAs nanowires. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electron source suitable for use in a charged-particle apparatus, in which source a beam of electrons can be extracted from an electrode that is subjected to at least one of an electric potential, thermal excitation and photonic excitation, characterized in that at least part of the electrode comprises semiconductor material having a conduction band that is quantized into discrete energy levels.

The breadth of this patent claim is somewhat surprising since semiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes, which have quantized conductance bands, have been proposed for field emission over a decade ago (see http://onversity.com/doc/nanotube1.pdf or US Patent 5,773,921). Unfortunately this patent was allowed without any consideration of such prior art.