Method for forming carbon nanotube array and method for forming carbon nanotube structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159651-A1
Application number	US-201514609604-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for forming a carbon nanotube array is disclosed. More than one carbon nanotube array is transferred onto an accepting surface of one substitute substrate by sandwiching a liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays and solidifying the liquid medium into a solid medium. The solid medium is melt to form the liquid medium again. The carbon nanotube arrays are slid on the accepting surface of the substitute substrate to contact side surfaces with each other to form the carbon nanotube assembling array. A method for forming a carbon nanotube structure, such as a film, is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forming a carbon nanotube assembling array, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of carbon nanotube arrays and a substitute substrate, the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays are individually located on a plurality of growing substrates and have an ability to have a carbon nanotube film drawn therefrom, each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprises a bottom surface adjacent to a growing substrate and a top surface away from the growing substrate; placing the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays on an accepting surface of the substitute substrate and sandwiching a liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; solidifying the liquid medium into a solid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; separating the substitute substrate from the plurality of growing substrates, thereby separating the bottom surface of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays from the growing substrate; melting the solid medium to form the liquid medium again between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; and sliding the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays on the accepting surface of the substitute substrate such that side surfaces of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays are in contact with each other.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sandwiching the liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprises:
forming the liquid medium on the top surface of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; and contacting the accepting surface and the liquid medium with each other.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the solidifying the liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprises contacting the substitute substrate having a temperature below a freezing point with the liquid medium.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sandwiching the liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprises:
forming the liquid medium on the accepting surface; and contacting the top surface of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays and the liquid medium with each other.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solidifying the liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprises placing a lamination of the plurality of growing substrates, the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays, the liquid medium, and the substitute substrate to an area; and the area having a temperature below a freezing point of the liquid medium.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium comprises water.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium is in a shape of a plurality of droplets, mist, or film.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a diameter of each of the plurality of droplets and a thickness of the film is in a range from about 10 nanometers to about 300 microns.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprise a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and during the separating the bottom surface of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays from the growing substrate, substantially all carbon nanotubes are simultaneously detached from the growing substrate.

11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays after the sliding the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays on the accepting surface of the substitute substrate.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substitute substrate comprises ice.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the side surfaces of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays are combined by van der Waals attractive force.

14 . A method for forming a carbon nanotube structure, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of carbon nanotube arrays and a substitute substrate, the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays are individually located on a plurality of growing substrates and have an ability to have a carbon nanotube film drawn therefrom, each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays comprising a bottom surface adjacent to a growing substrate and a top surface away from the growing substrate; placing the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays on an accepting surface of the substitute substrate and sandwiching a liquid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; solidifying the liquid medium into a solid medium between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; separating the substitute substrate from the plurality of growing substrates, thereby separating the bottom surface of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays from the growing substrate; melting the solid medium to form the liquid medium again between the substitute substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays; sliding the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays on the accepting surface of the substitute substrate such that side surfaces of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays are in contact with each other; and drawing the carbon nanotube film from the carbon nanotube assembling array.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the carbon nanotube assembling array has a size larger than one of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays along a first direction; and a plurality of carbon nanotube segments are drawn along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wei Yang
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• B32B37/025 Primary

  Transfer laminating · CPC title

• C01B31/0253 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C01B32/168

  After-treatment · CPC title

• B32B2457/00

  Electrical equipment · CPC title

• Y02P20/582

  Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials · CPC title