US Patent 7838865 - Method for aligning elongated nanostructures

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7838865.html

Last week HP received a patent for self-aligning nanowires deposited via ink drops. This patent from Palo Alto Research is along similar lines using nanowire alignment via a patterned surface. Claim 1 reads:

1. An intermediate structure for forming an electronic device comprising:

a patterned surface; and

an elongated droplet of solution on the patterned surface, the elongated droplet of solution including elongated nanostructures suspended in a carrier solution, the elongated nanostructures approximately aligned lengthwise to correspond to the elongation of the elongated droplet.

US Patent 7569905 - 3-contact vertical nanorod sensor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7569905.html

This patent from the Palo Alto Research Center teaches an electronic environmental sensor fabricated from zinc oxide nanorods. Claim 1 reads:

1. A vertically fabricated three-electrode device comprising:

a detector having a substrate having a major surface; and

a nanorod formed on the substrate, the nanorod being substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the substrate, wherein the nanorod comprises:

a middle portion;

a first end portion, the first end portion being metallized; and

a second end portion, the second end portion being metallized,

a part of the middle portion of the nanorod being metallized and electrically connected to a third electrode.