Granted Patent B2

US 7,745,498 · App. 11/399,307 · Granted Jun 29, 2010

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A nanowire dispersion composition comprising a plurality of nanowires comprising silicon suspended in an aqueous or non-aqueous solution comprising at least one low molecular weight dispersant, wherein the nanowires include a thermally grown oxide layer on an outermost surface of the nanowires, wherein the thermally grown oxide layer is formed in addition to any oxide layer resulting from synthesis of the nanowires.

2. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the dispersant is selected from a nonionic or polymeric surfactant.

3. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 2 , wherein the dispersant comprises a block copolymer, a trisiloxane, a pendant siloxane or a linear siloxane.

4. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the dispersant has an HLB value less than about 20.

5. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 4 , wherein the dispersant has an HLB value less than about 10.

6. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the dispersant has a molecular weight less than about 5,000.

7. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the dispersant has a molecular weight less than about 3,000.

8. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the dispersant has a molecular weight less than about 1,000.

9. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one dispersant comprises a block copolymer.

10. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 9 , wherein the block copolymer comprises a diblock copolymer.

11. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanowire dispersion composition comprises from 0.01 to 20 wt % dispersant.

12. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanowire dispersion composition comprises between about 1.0 to 15 wt % dispersant.

13. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanowire dispersion composition comprises from about 1 to 8 wt % dispersant.

14. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous or non-aqueous solution comprises distilled water, ethanol, methanol or mixtures thereof.

15. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more binders.

16. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 15 , wherein the one or more binders comprise one or more water soluble polymers selected from the group comprising polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, methyl cellulose, and hydroxyl ethyl cellulose.

17. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 2 , further comprising a long chain polymeric dispersant selected from the group comprising ammonium polyacrylate acrysol, PVA, and PVP.

18. A flexible substrate comprising the nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 deposited as a thin film thereon.

19. A rigid substrate comprising the nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 deposited as a thin film thereon.

20. An active matrix display backplane comprising the nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 deposited as a thin film thereon.

21. A plastic substrate having the nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 coated as a thin film thereon.

22. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanowires have an aspect ratio greater than about 10.

23. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of nanowires have an aspect ratio greater than about 100.

24. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of nanowires have an aspect ratio greater than about 1000.

25. A nanowire dispersion composition comprising a plurality of nanowires comprising silicon suspended in aqueous or non-aqueous solution comprising at least one low molecular weight block copolymer dispersant, wherein the nanowires include a thermally grown oxide layer on an outermost surface of the nanowires, wherein the thermally grown oxide layer is formed in addition to any oxide layer resulting from synthesis of the nanowires.

26. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 25 , wherein the dispersant comprises one or more block polymers having a molecular weight less than about 5,000.

27. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanowire dispersion composition comprises from greater than 10 to 20 wt % dispersant.

28. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 25 , wherein the nanowire dispersion composition comprises from greater than 10 to 20 wt % dispersant.

29. A nanowire dispersion composition comprising a plurality of nanowires suspended in aqueous or non-aqueous solution, wherein the solution comprises at least one dispersant having a low molecular weight and a low HLB value.

30. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , further comprising at least one binder.

31. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 30 , wherein the at least one polymeric or polymerisable binder comprises a long chain polymeric dispersant.

32. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , wherein the solution is an aqueous solution, and wherein the nanowire dispersion composition further comprises one or more water-soluble or water-dissipatable polymeric or polymerisable binders.

33. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , further comprising one or more organic solvents.

34. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , wherein the solution comprises at least 20 wt % water.

35. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , wherein the solution comprises at least 50 wt % water.

36. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , wherein the nanowires include a chemically or thermally grown oxide layer on an outermost surface of the nanowires, and wherein the oxide layer is formed in addition to any oxide layer resulting from synthesis of the nanowires.

37. The nanowire dispersion composition of claim 29 , wherein the nanowire dispersion composition comprises from greater than 10 to 20 wt % dispersant.

Assignments (7)