Lintec of America, Inc.

The University of Texas System

Lintec Corporation

Marcio Dias Lima

Ray H Baughman

Shaoli Fang

Carter Sebastian Haines

Julia Bykova

Mikhail E Kozlov

Na Li

Luis Plata

Yang Yang

Randy B Allen

Jiyoung Oh

Marilu Guerrero

Dongseok Suh

Franklin Le

Raquel Ovalle-Robles

Monica Jung DeAndrade

Sergey Li

Anvar A Zakhidov

Takahiro Ueda

Mohammad H Haque

Xavier N Lepro-Chavez

Javier Carretero-Gonzalez

Elizabeth Castillo-Martinez

David Michael Novitski

Chihye Lewis-Azad

Kanzan Inoue

Monica Jung De Andrade

Ali E Aliev

Jiuke Mu

Jaeah Lee

Zhong Wang

BaeKyun Kim

Zunfeng Liu

Run Wang

Essence Beasley

Fatma Göktepe

Özer Göktepe

Fatma Goktepe

Calvin Truong

Ozer Goktepe

Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twisted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered thermally. In some embodiments, the thermally-powered polymer fiber actuator can be incorporated into an article, such as a textile or garment.

Thermally-powered polymer fiber actuators and articles including same

An array of discrete nanofiber films that are physically separated from one another are described. Techniques for forming the nanofiber film array are also described. Techniques for forming these structures include placing a suspension of nanofibers and/or nanoparticles on a patterned substrate. A pressure differential is applied, drawing the solvent of the suspension through holes in a mask. The nanofibers collect on an impermeable layer on the mask in a pattern corresponding to the negative features (grooves, holes, trenches) of the mask as the solvent is flowed through the holes.

Patterned nanofiber arrays assembled through patterned filtration

An apparatus and method for transferring nanofiber structures (e.g., nanofiber films, nanofiber sheets, stacks of nanofiber grids, nanofiber films, nanofiber sheets, and combinations thereof) between various substrates are described. The techniques described use a soluble layer on a substrate that is subsequently dissolved, thus freeing the nanofiber structure from the substrate. This liquid phase techniques preserves the mechanical integrity and the purity of the nanofiber structures.

Nanofiber filtered films and soluble substrate processing

Nanofiber membranes are described that include multiple layers of nanofiber structures, where each structure is a composite composition of multiwall carbon nanotubes and one or both of single wall and/or few walled carbon nanotubes. By selecting the relative proportions of multiwall and one or more of single/few wall carbon nanotubes in a nanofiber film, the membrane can be fabricated to withstand the heating that occurs during operation in an EUV lithography machine, while also having enough mechanical integrity to withstand pressure changes of between 1 atmosphere (atm) and 2 atm between operating cycles of an EUV lithography machine.

Films of multiwall, few wall, and single wall carbon nanotube mixtures

An actuator device that includes a first fiber, a conducting material, and a coating. The coating coats the first fiber or the conducting material. The coating may also provide moisture protection, UV protection, thermal insulation and thermal conductivity.

Artificial muscle actuators

A filtration formed nanostructure pellicle film is disclosed. The filtration formed nanostructure pellicle film includes a plurality of carbon nanofibers that are intersected randomly to form an interconnected network structure in a planar orientation. The interconnected structure allows for a high minimum EUV transmission rate of at least 92%, with a thickness ranging from a lower limit of 3 nm to an upper limit of 100 nm, to allow for effective EUV lithography processing.

Ultra-thin, ultra-low density films for EUV lithography

Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twisted polymer fibers generate tensile actuation when powered thermally. In some embodiments, the thermally-powered polymer fiber tensile actuator can be incorporated into an article, such as a textile or garment.

Thermally-powered polymer fiber tensile actuators and articles including same

A carbon nanotube (CNT) muscle device includes a first CNT yarn. The first CNT yarn includes: one or more first CNT sheets wrapped in the form of a tube; and a first guest actuation material infiltrating the one or more first CNT sheets.

Carbon nanotube sheet wrapping muscles

Polymer and nanotube-based actuators that include a thermochromic coating is disclosed. The actuators include a thermochromic material applied to a surface of the core fiber or the conductive element. Upon heating the actuator, the thermochromic coating undergoes a color transition to indicate a pre-determined temperature correlated to a rated critical temperature, important temperature of the actuator components, or a level of actuation.

Thermochromic actuators

A smart (intelligent) textile that can control its porosity, shape, texture, loft, stiffness, or color by temperature change or moisture absorption by using polymer fiber torsional and tensile actuators. This temperature change can be due to a change in ambient temperature or by an external stimulus, such as electrothermal heating. Mechanisms to accomplish this include (a) direct actuation (contraction or expansion) of polymer fiber actuators in a textile structure (b) rotation of polymer fiber actuators helically wrapped around warp and/or weft yarns in a textile structure; (c) rotation of chenille type or ribbon-like warp (or weft) ends by polymer fiber torsional actuators; (d) contraction or expansion of piles or loops in a chenille type fancy yarn produced by using mandrel actuators as pile or loop part of the yarn; (e) buckling of warp (or weft) yarns by contraction of tensile polymer fiber actuators; (f) decrease in yarn diameter by a twisting effect of polymer fiber actuators; (g) contraction or expansion of segmented mandrel actuators with core filament, wire or yarns; or (h) rotation of differentially dyed polymer fiber actuators for color changing textiles.

Actuating textiles containing polymer fiber muscles

A hydraulic muscle comprises a hollow carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn tube comprising: a plurality of CNT sheets twisted and wrapped in form of a hollow tube; and a binding agent infiltrated in the plurality of CNT sheets that binds the plurality of the CNT sheets together. A method of manufacturing a hydraulic muscle comprises: twisting and wrapping a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets around a core fiber; infiltrating a binding agent in between the plurality of CNT sheets, wherein the binding agent binds the plurality of the CNT sheets together; and removing the core fiber from the plurality of CNT sheets.

Hydraulic muscle from hollow wrapped carbon nanotube yarn

An artificial muscle tentacle and method for manufacturing an artificial muscle tentacle, and a computer readable medium for controlling an artificial muscle tentacle are disclosed. The artificial muscle tentacle includes two spacers and a central core that connects the two spacers. The artificial muscle tentacle also includes at least two Z-Twist actuators and at least two S-Twist actuators. The Z-Twist actuators and the S-Twist actuators are disposed around the central core and in between the two spacers connecting the two spacers. The actuation of one or more of the Z-Twist actuators and the S-Twist actuators actuates the artificial muscle tentacle.

Artificial muscle tentacles

A linear displacement device includes at least one artificial muscle actuator, an arm attached to the at least one artificial muscle, a body that is restricted to move along a line, and a stationary channel that restricts the motion of the body to linear motion. The at least one artificial muscle actuator causes the body to move along the line. The body is further restricted to move along a surface of the arm and the at least one artificial muscle actuator is a rotational muscle actuator. Additionally, the arm rotates in concert with the at least one artificial muscle actuator.

Growing community of inventors

Richardson, TX, United States of America

Marcio Dias Lima