US Patent 8211399 - Making metal sulfide nanocrystals

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8211399.html

This patent from Foxconn teaches a method to reduce the cost and complexity of producing metal sulfide nanocrystals which are useful for LED and solar cell devices. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for making metal sulfide nanocrystals comprising:

providing metal inorganic salt powder in a container;

adding superfluous mercaptan into the container;

stirring the superfluous mercaptan and the metal inorganic salt uniformly to obtain a precursor mixture and heating the precursor mixture to obtain the metal sulfide nanocrystals; and

separating the metal sulfide nanocrystals.

US Patent 8169223 - Ionization vacuum gauge with CNT anode

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8169223.html

Ionization gauges are the most sensitive gauges for very low pressure. This patent from Foxconn teaches how carbon nanotube can be used as anodes in ionization gauges to reduce sensitivity to light and temperature in extreme vacuum environments. Claim 1 reads:

1. An ionization vacuum gauge, comprising:

a cathode;

an anode surrounding the cathode,

the anode is a carbon nanotube wire structure consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes; and

a hollow ion collector surrounding the anode.

US Patent 8154011+8154012 - CNT thin film transistors

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8154011.html
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8154012.html

These two patents come from Foxconn and include some broad claims for high mobility thin film transistors formed using aligned carbon nanotube films as a semiconductor layer. Claim 1 of the '012 patent reads: 

1. A thin film transistor comprising:

a source electrode;

a drain electrode spaced from the source electrode;

a semiconducting layer connected to the source electrode and the drain electrode;

an insulating layer; and

a gate electrode insulated from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the semiconducting layer by the insulating layer;

wherein the semiconducting layer comprises a carbon nanotube film, and the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes primarily oriented along a same direction and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes are oriented along a direction from the source electrode to the drain electrode.

US Patent 8125878 - CNT touch panel and display

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8125878.html

This patent from Chinese manufacturer Foxconn teaches how carbon nanotubes can improve the properties of future touch screen displays. Claim 1 reads:

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate comprising a first surface;

a transparent conductive layer located on the first surface, the transparent conductive layer comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube wires; and

a plurality of electrodes separately disposed from each other, two opposite ends of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube wires being directly and electrically connected to two of the plurality of electrodes.

US Patent 8084927 - CNT twisted wire electron emitter

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8084927.html

There have been a wide variety of patents issued over the past decade for carbon nanotubes exhibiting electron emission for applications in flat panel displays, lighting, and sensors. Most of these patents are based on field emission effects of the carbon nanotubes but this latest patent from Foxconn teaches a new type of nanotube electron emitter based on thermionic emission which can improve the mechanical durability and lifespan of devices such as gas lasers, arc-welders, plasma-cutters, electron microscopes, and x-ray generators. Claim 1 reads:


1. A thermal electron emitter comprising:

at least one carbon nanotube twisted wire comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes; and

a plurality of electron emission particles having a work function lower than a work function of the carbon nanotubes,

wherein at least portions of the plurality of electron emission particles are substantially uniformly dispersed within the twisted wire.

US Patent 8081287 - LCD with CNT heater

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8081287.html

The switching voltage of LCDs is sensitive to temperature and a heating layer is used to maintain a consistent temperature. This patent from Hon Hai Precision includes basic claims for using carbon nanotubes in the heating layer to improve efficiency. Claim 1 reads:

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

at least one heating element located on at least one of a first substrate and a second substrate comprising at least one carbon nanotube structure.

US Patent 8076836 - CNT light source

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8076836.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) is based on the finding that carbon nanotube films formed with varying density emit polarized light when a current is applied. Claim 7 reads:

7. A light source comprising:

a carbon nanotube film comprising a plurality of first areas and a plurality of second areas, the first areas and the second areas each comprising a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotubes joined end-to-end by Van der Waals attractive force therebetween, wherein the first areas and the second areas have different densities of carbon nanotubes; and

two electrodes electrically connected to the carbon nanotube film.

US Patent 8076829 - CNT artificial muscles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8076829.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches a carbon nanotube composite forming an actuator requiring less power to operate than conventional actuating composites. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electrostrictive composite comprising:

a flexible polymer matrix in a sheet structure form; and

a plurality of one dimensional conductive materials dispersed in the flexible polymer matrix, the one dimensional conductive materials-cooperatively forming an electrically conductive structure in the flexible polymer matrix,

wherein the one dimensional conductive materials are carbon nanotubes oriented substantially along a preferred orientation and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force.

US Patent 8075524 - Syringe set with CNT heater

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8075524.html

For many medical procedures injected fluid needs to be maintained near body temperature. This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches using carbon nanotube material as the heater in a syringe set. Claim 1 reads:

1. A syringe set comprising:

a syringe; and

a heating device comprising:

a heating module in thermal engagement with the syringe, the heating module comprising a heating element, a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes forming at least one electrically conductive path between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the first electrode and the second electrode electrically connect with the carbon nanotubes; and

a body supporting the heating module;

wherein the at least one electrically conductive path is adapted to convert a current into a heat and transfer the heat.

US Patent 8068624 - CNT thermoacoustic sound generator

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8068624.html

This is one of the latest patents from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) including basic claims for a new application of carbon nanotubes involving thermoacoustic transduction. Claim 20 reads:

20. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a sound wave generator, the sound wave generator comprises a carbon nanotube structure;

the sound wave generator produces sound waves by a thermoacoustic effect.

US Patent 8030623 - CNT photoacoustic EM sensor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8030623.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) is based on the finding that carbon nanotubes act to convert electromagnetic waves (such as from a laser) into sound waves. Claim 1 reads: 

1. A method for measuring properties of an electromagnetic signal comprising steps of:

providing an electromagnetic signal measuring device comprising a carbon nanotube structure, the carbon nanotube structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes;

receiving an electromagnetic signal by the carbon nanotube structure in the electromagnetic signal measuring device; and

measuring an intensity of the electromagnetic signal by sound waves produced by the carbon nanotube structure.

US Patent 8027013 - Carbon nanotube heating layers for LCDs

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8027013.html

The threshold voltage of switching in LCDs depends inversely on the temperature so high temperature operation is desirable to achieve good color contrast with low operational voltage. This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches using carbon nanotube film as a heater to reduce the threshold voltage. Claim 1 reads:

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a first transparent heating layer located on the first substrate;

a second transparent heating layer located on the second substrate, at least one of the first the second transparent heating layers comprises a carbon nanotube structure.

US Patent 8017272 - Anode of a lithium battery formed from CNT films

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8017272.html

In order to achieve high storage capacity tin is used as an anode material for lithium batteries but has a limited lifespan under repeated charge/discharge operations. This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches how to combine carbon nanotubes  with tin oxide nanoparticles to improve the lifespan of lithium battery anodes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for fabricating an anode of a lithium battery, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an array of carbon nanotubes;

(b) pulling out, by using a tool, at least two carbon nanotube films from the array of carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotube film structure; and

(c) dispersing a plurality of nanoscale tin oxide particles in the carbon nanotube film structure to form a composite film.

US Patent 8009284 - CNT electromagnetic sensor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8009284.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches how carbon nanotube structures can be used to measure the intensity and polarizing direction of electromagnetic waves. Claim 1 reads:


1. A method for detecting an electromagnetic wave, the method comprising:

providing an electromagnetic wave sensor comprising a carbon nanotube structure, the carbon nanotube structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged substantially along a same direction;

irradiating the carbon nanotube structure with an electromagnetic wave to be measured; and

measuring a variation of a resistance of the carbon nanotube structure when the carbon nanotube structure is irradiated by the electromagnetic wave.

US Patent 7988896 - Preparing CNT/polymer composites

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7988896.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) includes some broad claims for making carbon nanotube/PMMA composite films useful to create capacitor and electromagnetic shielding structures. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of preparing a carbon nanotube/polymer composite material, comprising the steps of:

providing a carbon nanotube-based film and a pre-polymer solution;

placing the carbon nanotube-based film in a container, and pouring the pre-polymer solution in the container to cover the carbon nanotube-based film; and

keeping the carbon nanotube-based film in the container and polymerizing the pre-polymer solution in the container into a polymer.

US Patent 7986083 - CNT electron emitters with reinforcement structures

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7986083.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) includes claims to a carbon nanotube field emission display providing a reduced weight with greater structural integrity. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electron emission device, comprising:

a cathode electrode; and

a gate electrode insulated from the cathode electrode, the gate electrode comprising a carbon nanotube layer having a plurality of substantially uniformly distributed spaces, the carbon nanotube layer comprising at least one carbon nanotube film and a plurality of carbon nanotube reinforcement structures.

US Patent 7973295 - Method for making transparent carbon nanotube film

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7973295.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) includes some basic claims for a method of manufacturing transparent electrodes from carbon nanotube film. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for making a transparent carbon nanotube film, the method comprises the following steps:

(a) obtaining a carbon nanotube film; and

(b) irradiating the carbon nanotube film by a laser device with a power density greater than 0.1×104 W/m2.

US Patent 7972537 - CNT-polymer composite

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7972537.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches a variation of carbon nanotube-polymer composite useful for solar cell electrodes and supercapacitors by providing lower internal resistances. Claim 1 reads:

1. A carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite comprising:

a plurality of carbon nanotubes which form a carbon nanotube network; and

a plurality of conductive polymer fibers adhered to the carbon nanotube network,

wherein the conductive polymer fibers are from about 100 nm to about 10 mm long and wherein the diameters of the conductive polymer fibers are from about 30 nm to about 120 nm.

US Patent 7947977 - Thin film transistor with CNT electrodes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7947977.html

Several proposals have been made to manufacture transistors using carbon nanotubes as the channel material. This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches a design in which nanotubes are used to form the electrodes of a transistor so as to enable applications in flexible electronic devices. Claim 1 reads:

1. A thin film transistor comprising:

a source electrode;

a drain electrode spaced from the source electrode;

a semiconducting layer electrically connected to the source electrode and the drain electrode; and

a gate electrode insulated from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the semiconducting layer by an insulating layer;

wherein at least one of the source electrode, drain electrode, and the gate electrode comprises a metallic carbon nanotube layer, the metallic carbon nanotube layer comprises at least one carbon nanotube yarn structure, the at least one carbon nanotube yarn structure comprises a plurality of successive and oriented carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force.

US Patent 7933058 - CNT heater for thermochromic display

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7933058.html

Thermochromic materials have a color  sensitivity to heat and have been proposed as a means to develop paper thin and flexible electronic displays. This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) teaches a way to use carbon nanotube heaters to achieve this type of electronic display. Claim 1 reads:

1. A thermochromic component, comprising:

a thermochromic module capable of changing colors under changing temperature conditions;

a heater thermally coupled with the thermochromic module and comprising a carbon nanotube structure, the carbon nanotube structure being capable of applying heat to the thermochromic module; and

two electrodes electrically connected to the heater and configured to apply a voltage to the heater.