Static information storage and retrieval – Read/write circuit – Optical
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-09
2002-10-29
Elms, Richard (Department: 2824)
Static information storage and retrieval
Read/write circuit
Optical
C365S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06473351
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Carbon nanotubes consisting of seamless and atomically perfect graphitic cylinders generally only a few nanometers in diameter have been synthesized in bulk quantities. The unusual combination of their molecular nature and micrometer-size length gives rise to the uncommon electronic properties of these systems. Electrical transport measurements for individual nanotubes indicate that these systems behave as genuine quantum wires, nonlinear electronic elements or transistors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Computer simulations indicate that nanotubes containing at least one charged particle, otherwise referred to herein as bucky-shuttles, exhibit an unusual dynamical behavior making such mechanisms useful for nanoscale memory devices. Such nanoscale memory devices combine high switching speed, high packing density and stability with non-volatility of the stored data.
The nanoscale mechanisms including at least one charged particle, generally in the form of a fullerene molecule contained within at least one carbon nanotube can be produced by thermally annealing diamond powder of an average diameter of 4-6 nm via a detonation method reported by Toron Company, Ltd. According to this detonation method diamond powder is heated in a graphite crucible in an inert argon atmosphere at 1800° C. for 1 hour. This treatment transforms the diamond powder into graphitic nanostructures as seen in transmission electron microscope images. Interestingly, a large portion of the material produced under this method consists of multi-walled capsules.
Alternative bucky shuttle structures sometimes referred to as “nano-peapod”, similar to the structure shown in
FIG. 5
can be synthesized by acid purifying carbon nanotubes produced by the pulsed laser ablation of a graphite target impregnated with 1.2% of Ni/Co catalyst as reported by Smith et al. NATURE, 396, 323 (1998). Similarly, nano-peapods have been produced by carbon arc discharge using ~5% of Ni/Y catalyst as reported by Luzzi et al., Science and Application of Nanotubes, p. 67 (2000).
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Luzzi, et al., The Synthesis, Structure and Properties of Peapods, Cats and Kin, In: Science & Application of Nanotubes, ed. D. Tomanek; Kluwer (2000), 71, Proceedings of Nanotube—99 Conference, East Lansing, (Jul. 24-27, 1999).
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International Search Report PCT/US00/03573.
Brehob Mark W.
Enbody Richard
Tomanek David
Young-Kyun Kwon
Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University
Elms Richard
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Phung Anh
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