Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Otto Zhou · Bo Gao · Guozhen Yue · Soojin Oh ·
Assignee(s)	The University of North Carolina · Xintek, Inc. ·  View assignee updates
Correspondent	BURNS DOANE SWECKER & MATHIS L L P ·
Application Number	US10842357
Filing date	05/10/2004
Publication date	06/23/2005
Predicted expiration date	11/30/2021
U.S. Classifications	204/471  · 204/622  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	A1

Patent Family

Abstract

A method for attaching nanostructure-containing material onto a sharp tip of an object includes forming a suspension of pre-formed nanostructure-containing material in a liquid medium. An electrode is immersed in the suspension. The sharp tip of the object is arranged to be in contact with the suspension. A voltage is applied to the immersed electrode and to the sharp tip. The nanostructure-containing material attaches to the sharp tip of the object.

Independent Claims | See all claims (27)

1. 1. A method of attaching nanostructure-containing material onto a sharp tip of an object, the method comprising: forming a suspension of pre-formed nanostructure-containing material in a liquid medium; immersing an electrode in the suspension; arranging the sharp tip of the object to be in contact with the suspension; and applying a voltage to the immersed electrode and to the sharp tip, wherein the nanostructure-containing material attaches to the sharp tip of the object.
2. 15. A method of forming a composite, multilayer, nanostructure-containing structure on a sharp tip of an object, the method comprising: forming a plurality of suspensions in respective liquid mediums, at least one of the suspensions including pre-formed nanostructure-containing material; immersing at least one electrode in each of the suspensions; and sequentially for each of the plurality suspensions, arranging the sharp tip of the object to be in contact with a respective suspension and applying a voltage to the at least one electrode immersed in the respective suspension and to the sharp tip of the object; wherein the nanostructure-containing material included in the at least one the suspensions attaches to the sharp tip of the object to form a respective nanostructure-containing layer of a composite multilayer structure.
3. 22. An apparatus for attaching nanostructure-containing material onto a sharp tip of an object, the apparatus comprising: an electrode configured to be immersed in a suspension of pre-formed nanostructure-containing material in a liquid medium; a voltage source configured to apply a voltage to the electrode when immersed in the suspension and to the sharp tip of the object; and means for arranging the sharp tip of the object to be in contact with the suspension.