US Patent 8114518 - High-purity SWCNT aligned array

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8114518.html

This patent is from Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and includes some broad claims with priority going back to 2005 for purified single walled carbon nanotube arrays. Claim 1 reads:

1. A single-walled carbon nanotube having a specific surface area of between 800 m2/g or more and 2500 m2/g or less; and having a purity measured by fluorescence X-rays of 98% or more.

US Patent 8022383 - 2-terminal silicon mem-resistor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8022383.html

This patent from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan) teaches a new variation of RRAM based on silicon films separated by a nanoscale gap. Claim 1 reads:

1. A two-terminal resistance switching element, comprising

two silicon films each doped with an impurity arranged with a gap width in the order of nanometers,

wherein the switching element gives a resistance hysteresis observed at bias voltages lower than 5V when a voltage is applied to the silicon films, and expresses a non-volatile resistance change.

US Patent 8004146 - CNT ionic actuator

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8004146.html

This patent from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan teaches a way to form ionic actuators from carbon nanotube material without the use of a polymer which can lead to an improved response speed of actuation. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electrically conductive thin film formed from an ionic liquid and carbon nanotubes having an aspect ratio of not less than 10,000 and being free of polymer.

US Patent 7902586 - Horizontal gap mem-resistor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7902586.html

Numerous nanoscale memory resistors have been proposed over the past decade such as HP's memristor. Most of these designs are based on vertical memory cell architecture in which the memory material is sandwiched between two electrodes. This patent teaches an alternative design based on laterally separate electrodes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A non-volatile memory device, comprising:

an insulating substrate;

a first electrode provided on the insulating substrate;

a second electrode provided on the insulating substrate;

a gap set between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

controller configured to change a bias voltage applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, to change a distance G of the gap set between the first electrode and the second electrode in a range of 0-50 nm wherein the bias voltage is a voltage in a transition region, and the bias voltage is changed to a voltage at a region other than the transition region, wherein the distance G is changed with resistance between the first and the second electrodes, to set a first resistance value or a second resistance value which is larger than the first resistance value, and to maintain the first resistance value or the second resistance value which is larger than the first resistance value.

US Patent 7854991 - Aligned SWCNT array with high purity and surface area

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7854991.html

This patent from National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology teaches CVD growth methods for single walled carbon arrays resulting in high purity and surface area. Claim 1 reads:

1. A single-walled carbon nanotube bulk structure comprising a plurality of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes,

wherein a specific surface area of the plurality of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes is 800 m2/g or more and 2,500 m2/g or less, and

purity measured by fluorescence X-rays of the plurality of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes is 98% or more.

US Patent 7750285 - Photoconductive CNT optical sensor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7750285.html

This patent from Japanese researchers teaches a way to use carbon nanotubes to construct photosensors and integrate them with field effect transistors. Claim 1 reads:

1. An optical sensor characterized by comprising:

a photoconductive material layer, which generates a carrier inside when irradiated with a light or an electromagnetic wave, and

a transparent or translucent insulating layer formed on said photoconductive material layer, and

a carbon nanotube formed on said insulating layer, and

electrodes connected to opposite ends of said carbon nanotube, wherein;

said photoconductive material layer is irradiated with said light or electromagnetic wave through said transparent or translucent insulating layer;

a predetermined voltage is applied between said two electrodes, and said carrier, which is generated within said photoconductive material layer by irradiation of said light or electromagnetic wave, is sensed through change of electrical conduction of said carbon nanotube.

US Patent 7687801 - CNT dopant material

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7687801.html

This patent teaches dopants for carbon nanotube transistors enabling better control of the gate threshold voltage. Claim 1 reads:

1. A semiconductor device comprising, as the device,

a semiconductor material that is obtained by depositing, on a carbon nanotube, a donor with a smaller ionization potential than an intrinsic work function of the carbon nanotube or an acceptor with a larger electron affinity than the intrinsic work function of the carbon nanotube, wherein the ionization potential of the donor in vacuum is 6.4 eV or less.

US Patent 7682590 - CNT dispersed polar organic solvent

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7682590.html

This patent includes basic claims to using polyvinylpyrrolidone to establish more effective dispersion of nanotubes in a solvent. Claim 1 reads:

1. A non-aqueous carbon nanotube dispersion liquid consisting of a carbon nanotube, an amide-based polar organic solvent, and a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

US Patent 7521672 - Quantum dot array for mass spectroscopy

US Patent 7521672

Mass spectrometry attempts to discover the chemical components of an unknown sample using mass separation via differing charge to mass ratios. However, the sample holders conventionally used in mass spectroscopy can often produce unwanted debris obscuring operation after repeated use. This patent teaches a quantum dot surface formed in the sample plate which avoids such fouling and makes cleaning easier. Claim 1 reads:

1. A sample plate for laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, comprising a surface, on which a plurality of convex quantum dot structures contacting a sample are distributed.