US Patent 7767261 - Passivation of semiconductor nanoparticles

http://ip.com/patent/US7767261

Kovio is a Silicon Valley company founded in the MIT Media Lab. focusing on the development of printing silicon over flexible and large area substrates. This latest patent has priority going back to 2003 and teaches a passivation method for silicon nanoparticle "ink". Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of making passivated semiconductor nanoparticles, comprising:

a) reacting hydrogen-terminated semiconductor nanoparticles with a compound containing one or more unsaturated carbon-carbon bond(s) to form said passivated semiconductor nanoparticles; and

b) isolating said passivated semiconductor nanoparticles.

US Patent 7276385 - Nanoparticles for circuit repair

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7276385.html

Kovio is a company focusing on the use of printing technologies to fabricate electronics with less expense. This patent uses laser irradiation of a thin film of nanoparticles to selectively form wiring patterns for circuit repair and subsequent removal of the nanoparticles that were not irradiated. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of repairing a circuit, comprising the steps of: a) depositing a thin film composition comprising nanoparticles of at least one electrically functional material on or over a region of said circuit to be repaired such that said thin film composition contacts first and second elements of said circuit; b) irradiating at least a portion of the thin film composition with a wavelength of light for a length of time and at an intensity sufficient to convert said nanoparticles to an electronically functional film, fuse said nanoparticles or bind said nanoparticles to each other; and c) locally rinsing said irradiated thin film with a developer to remove non-irradiated portions or portions adjacent to the irradiated portion of the composition.