The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 05, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 03, 2010
Brian Yichiun Chow, Cambridge, MA (US);
Jaebum Joo, Medford, MA (US);
Manu Prakash, Arlington, MA (US);
Brian Yichiun Chow, Cambridge, MA (US);
Jaebum Joo, Medford, MA (US);
Manu Prakash, Arlington, MA (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
In exemplary implementations of this invention, hydrothermal synthesis of zinc oxide nanowires is morphologically controlled. Metal complex ions are used to suppress growth in a face-selective manner, by electrostatic crystal growth inhibition. This permits the aspect ratio (height/diameter) of the nanowires to be dynamically tuned over a wide range, from needle-like nanowires that are efficient field emitters to flattened nanowires with a platelet-like shape. The nanowire synthesis is all inorganic and occurs at low temperatures (e.g., <=60° C.). The growth inhibition may be predictively modeled, using speciation plots and treating non-zinc complex ions as ligands. Microfluidic channels may be used for the synthesis, with different solutions flowing down different channels, permitting nanowires with different properties to be synthesized in parallel. This invention may be used to produce field emission devices and nanowire-embedded AC electroluminescent devices, and for in-situ fabrication of spatially complex integrated devices in a polymeric microfluidic system.