454 results about "Ion flow" patented technology

Ion-induced, UV-induced, and electron-induced sequential chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes are disclosed where an ion flux, a flux of ultra-violet radiation, or an electron flux, respectively, is used to induce the chemical reaction in the process. The process for depositing a thin film on a substrate includes introducing a flow of a first reactant gas in vapor phase into a process chamber where the gas forms an adsorbed saturated layer on the substrate and exposing the substrate to a flux of ions, a flux of ultra-violet radiation, or a flux of electrons for inducing a chemical reaction of the adsorbed layer of the first reactant gas to form the thin film. A second reactant gas can be used to form a compound thin film. The ion-induced, UV-induced, and electron-induced sequential CVD process of the present invention can be repeated to form a thin film of the desired thickness.

A chemical vapor deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber with an ion shower grid that divides the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the ion shower grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region facing the ion shower grid, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the ion shower grid. A gas mixture is furnished comprising deposition precursor species into the ion generation region and the process region is evacuated at an evacuation rate sufficient to create a pressure drop across the ion shower grid from the ion generation region to the process region whereby the pressure in the ion generation region is at least several times the pressure in the process region. A layer of material of a desired thickness is deposited on the workpiece by: (a) applying plasma source power to generate a plasma of the deposition precursor species in the ion generation region, and (b) applying a grid potential to the ion shower grid to create a flux of ions from the plasma through the grid and into the process region.

An asymmetric field ion mobility spectrometer with an ionization source for ionizing a sample media and creating ions. An ion filter is disposed in the analytical gap downstream from the ionization source for creating an asymmetric electric field to filter the ions. An ion flow generator for creating an electric field in a direction transverse to the asymmetric electric field and which propels the ions through the asymmetric electric field towards a detector.

A chemical vapor deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber with an ion shower grid that divides the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the ion shower grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region facing the ion shower grid, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the ion shower grid. A gas mixture is furnished comprising deposition precursor species into the ion generation region and the process region is evacuated at an evacuation rate sufficient to create a pressure drop across the ion shower grid from the ion generation region to the process region whereby the pressure in the ion generation region is at least several times the pressure in the process region. A layer of material of a desired thickness is deposited on the workpiece by: (a) applying plasma source power to generate a plasma of the deposition precursor species in the ion generation region, and (b) applying a grid potential to the ion shower grid to create a flux of ions from the plasma through the grid and into the process region.

Apparatus and method for generating and controlling flows of positive and negative air ions includes interposing isolated sets of electrodes in a flowing air stream to separately produce positive and negative ions. The rates of separated production of positive and negative ions are sensed to control ionizing voltages applied to electrodes that produce the ions. Variations from a balance condition of substantially equal amounts of positive and negative ions flowing in the air stream are also sensed to alter bias voltage applied to a grid electrode through which the air stream and ions flow.

The present invention relates generally to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR TOF MS). To improve mass resolving power of a planar MR TOF MS, a spatially isochronous and curved interface may be used for ion transfer in and out of the MR TOF analyzer. One embodiment comprises a planar grid-free MR TOF MS with periodic lenses in the field-free space, a linear ion trap for converting ion flow into pulses and a C-shaped isochronous interface made of electrostatic sectors. The interface allows transferring ions around the edges and fringing fields of the ion mirrors without introducing significant time spread. The interface may also provide energy filtering of ion packets. The non-correlated turn-around time of ion trap converter may be reduced by using a delayed ion extraction from the ion trap and excessive ion energy is filtered in the curved interface.

Novel dispersions of nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, boron nanotubes, clay nanotubes, other nanotube species, buckminster fullerenes, graphene, graphene nanoplatelets, elements, oxides, nanoparticles, nanoclusters, nanopowders, nanocrystals, nanoscale molecules, other nanoscale materials, as well as products produced therefrom are described. These dispersions can then be further processed into a wide variety of products including but not limited to composite materials, polymers, resins, epoxies, emulsions, cements, coatings, clays, films, membranes, paper, fibers, inks, paints, pastes, electronics, spintronics, optics, biotechnology materials, electrodes, field emission or other displays, plating, capacitance, ceramics, catalysts, clays, ballistic materials, drug delivery, doping, magnetics, dielectrics, barrier layers, selective ion flow membranes, batteries, fuel cells, solar and other applications. The invention can also be used to protect electronics from electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference or radio frequency identification. Most applications that utilize nanoparticles can benefit from this invention.

The present invention relates generally to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR TOF MS). To improve mass resolving power of a planar MR TOF MS, a spatially isochronous and curved interface may be used for ion transfer in and out of the MR TOF analyzer. One embodiment comprises a planar grid-free MR TOF MS with periodic lenses in the field-free space, a linear ion trap for converting ion flow into pulses and a C-shaped isochronous interface made of electrostatic sectors. The interface allows transferring ions around the edges and fringing fields of the ion mirrors without introducing significant time spread. The interface may also provide energy filtering of ion packets. The non-correlated turn-around time of ion trap converter may be reduced by using a delayed ion extraction from the ion trap and excessive ion energy is filtered in the curved interface.

A system for analyzing one or more ion species of a sample including a first ion mobility filter associated with a first flow path for passing first ions of the sample, a second ion mobility filter associated with a second flow path for passing second ions of the sample, a first outlet from the first flow path for passing a portion of the first ions from the first flow path to the second flow path, and a first outlet from the second flow path for removing neutral particles from the second flow path where the first outlet from the second flow path is upstream of the second ion mobility filter in relation to the ion flow in the second flow path.

Ion manipulation systems include ion repulsion by an RF field penetrating through a mesh. Another comprises trapping ions in a symmetric RF field around a mesh. The system uses macroscopic parts, or readily available fine meshes, or miniaturized devices made by MEMS, or flexible PCB methods. One application is ion transfer from gaseous ion sources with focusing at intermediate and elevated gas pressures. Another application is the formation of pulsed ion packets for TOF MS within trap array. Such trapping is preferably accompanied by pulsed switching of RF field and by gas pulses, preferably formed by pulsed vapor desorption. Ion guidance, ion flow manipulation, trapping, preparation of pulsed ion packets, confining ions during fragmentation or exposure to ion to particle reactions and for mass separation are disclosed. Ion chromatography employs an ion passage within a gas flow and through a set of multiple traps with a mass dependent well depth.

Disclosed are biomedical scaffolds that may be used, for example, for treatment of bone diseases and bone repair. Methods of preparing such scaffolds are also disclosed. These scaffolds permit nutrient and ion flow such that bone regeneration in the area surrounding the scaffold is promoted. Also disclosed are kits that include the scaffolds set forth herein.

Fluidic nanotube devices are described in which a hydrophilic, non-carbon nanotube, has its ends fluidly coupled to reservoirs. Source and drain contacts are connected to opposing ends of the nanotube, or within each reservoir near the opening of the nanotube. The passage of molecular species can be sensed by measuring current flow (source-drain, ionic, or combination). The tube interior can be functionalized by joining binding molecules so that different molecular species can be sensed by detecting current changes. The nanotube may be a semiconductor, wherein a tubular transistor is formed. A gate electrode can be attached between source and drain to control current flow and ionic flow. By way of example an electrophoretic array embodiment is described, integrating MEMs switches. A variety of applications are described, such as: nanopores, nanocapillary devices, nanoelectrophoretic, DNA sequence detectors, immunosensors, thermoelectric devices, photonic devices, nanoscale fluidic bioseparators, imaging devices, and so forth.

The invention is directed, in part, to stable compositions of suspended carbon nanotubes, methods of making them, and uses thereof. The invention provides methods of producing high and low concentrations of highly dispersed carbon nanotubes suspended in a liquid. The carbon nanotube suspensions are of use in generating products with improved strength, weight, strength to weight ratio, electrical and thermal versatility, radiation shielding, capacitance, dielectric properties, selective ion flow, catalytic activity and biological applications. The invention provides for industrial processing of materials comprising carbon nanotubes such as, but not limited to, fibers, films, synthetic membranes, coatings, drug delivery systems, and molecular circuitry components.

The invention provides a lithium ion flow redox battery, belonging to the technical field of lithium ion batteries. The lithium ion flow redox battery comprises a positive electrode suspension tank, a negative electrode suspension tank and a battery reactor, wherein the positive electrode suspension tank contains the mixture of positive electrode composite material particles and an electrolyte; the negative electrode suspension tank contains negative electrode composite material particles and an electrolyte; the battery reactor comprises a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode current collector and one layer or a plurality of layers of microporous separators; the microporous separators separate the positive electrode current collector from the negative electrode current collector in an insulation mode so as to respectively form a positive electrode chamber and a negative electrode chamber; the positive electrode chamber is communicated with the positive electrode suspension tank through a seal pipeline; and the negative electrode chamber is communicated with the negative electrode suspension tank through a seal pipeline. Compared with a full vanadium flow redox battery, the lithium ion flow redox battery has the advantage of high energy density, the adoption of the environmentally-friendly and non-toxic electrolyte and low cost, and is applicable to large-scale energy storage of power grids.

A programmable metallization device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and a dielectric layer, a conductive ion-barrier layer, and an ion-supplying layer in series between the first and second electrodes. In operation, a conductive bridge is formed or destructed in the dielectric layer to represent a data value using bias voltages having the same polarity, enabling the use of diode access devices. To form a conductive bridge, a bias is applied that is high enough to cause ions to penetrate the conductive ion-barrier layer into the dielectric layer, which then form filaments or bridges. To destruct the conductive bridge, a bias of the same polarity is applied that causes current to flow through the structure, while ion flow is blocked by the conductive ion-barrier layer. As a result of Joule heating, any bridge in the dielectric layer disintegrates.

The invention relates to the field of the cell manufacturing and especially relates to a method of preparing the electrolyte of the vanadium ion liquid cell, making the 1:1 thin vitriol from the thick vitriol, adding the trioxid bi-vanadium and then the five-trioxid bi-vanadium to get the vitriol oxide vanadium; adding the Na2SO4, emulsification agent OP and other additive, placing the vitriol oxide vanadium at the cathode of the electrolytic cell and the same ion intension at the anticathode and electrolyse, getting the vitriol electrolyte used for vitriol batteries which includes half quadrivalence vanadium and half tervalent vanadium. The invention simplyfy the equipment of vitriol batteries and chemical procedure, enhance the work efficiency, extend the use time of the functional materials of vitriol batteries, such as the electrode and the dissepiment, needn't change the electrolyte of the anode, avoid wasting raw material, avail the producing by large scale.

A system for analyzing one or more ion species of a sample including a first ion mobility filter associated with a first flow path for passing first ions of the sample, a second ion mobility filter associated with a second flow path for passing second ions of the sample, a first outlet from the first flow path for passing a portion of the first ions from the first flow path to the second flow path, and a first outlet from the second flow path for removing neutral particles from the second flow path where the first outlet from the second flow path is upstream of the second ion mobility filter in relation to the ion flow in the second flow path.

A fiber spinning apparatus for charging a polymer-containing liquid stream, having at least one electrically charged, point-electrode positioned adjacent the intended path of said liquid stream and creating an ion flow by corona discharge to impart electrical charge to the polymer-containing liquid stream.

A method is described to select ions based on their electrical mobility. Ions are subjected to at least one full cycle of a time-dependent electric field. Ions are separated in space, and a continuous flow of filtered ions with a narrow range of selected mobility ions is produced at the outlet of the device, as in Differential Mobility Analyzers (DMAs). Yet, no high fluid velocity field is required, avoiding limitations associated in DMAs to flow unsteadiness, compressibility and turbulent transition. Instead, separation relies on the use of time-dependent ion trajectories generated by the time-dependent electric fields. Unlike FAIMS, full separation according to the mobility takes place within one or a few characteristic times for field variation, rather than via many tiny separation steps over many periods of field variation producing separation according to the mobility non-linearities in the mobility. Unlike conventional pulsating ion mobility spectrometry, a steady ion flow is produced with high duty cycle. Different embodiments of the apparatus using the method of the present invention are also described comprising different geometrical configurations and different time-dependent electric profiles, each of them having specific advantages. In a first configuration proposed, a rotary electric field is combined with an axial steady field achieving high resolution and a continuous output throughout all the selected and undesired ions. In a second two-dimensional configuration, an oscillating field is combined with a perpendicular steady field. Much higher sample flow rates can be achieved, though the undesired ions will periodically be transferred. Configurations using more than one stage allow minimizing the undesired pulsed signal of non selected ions. In all those configurations, the trajectories of ions are time dependent and the selected ions are subjected to at least one full cycle of the variable electric field. Separation is based on synchronizing the period of the field with the flight time of an ion from an inlet to an outlet for a particular electrical mobility.

Physical vapor deposition and re-sputtering of a barrier layer in an integrated circuit is performed by providing a metal target near a ceiling of the chamber and a wafer support pedestal facing the target near a floor of the chamber. A process gas is introduced into said vacuum chamber. A target-sputtering plasma is maintained at the target to produce a stream of principally neutral atoms flowing from the target toward the wafer for vapor deposition. A wafer-sputtering plasma is maintained near the wafer support pedestal to produce a stream of sputtering ions toward the wafer support pedestal for re-sputtering. The sputtering ions are accelerated across a plasma sheath at the wafer in a direction normal to a surface of the wafer to render the sputter etching highly selective for horizontal surfaces.

Disclosed is an ultracapacitor having electrodes containing mineral microtubules, an electrolyte between the electrodes, and a separator in the electrolyte to provide electrical insulation between the electrodes, while allowing ion flow within the electrolyte. The electrodes may be formed from a paste containing microtubules, a conductive polymer containing mineral microtubules, or an aerogel containing the mineral microtubles. The mineral microtubules may be filed with carbon, a pseudocapacitance material, or a magnetoresistive material. The mineral microtubules may also be coated with a photoconductive material.

An ultracapacitor comprising a first electrode containing mineral microtubules, a second electrode containing mineral microtubules, an electrolyte disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a separator disposed in the electrolyte to provide electrical insulation between the first electrode and the second electrode, while allowing ion flow within the electrolyte. The electrodes may be formed from a paste containing mineral microtubules, or may consist essentially of a conductive polymer containing mineral microtubules, or an aerogel containing the mineral microtubules. The mineral microtubules may be filled with carbon, a pseudocapacitance material, or a magnetoresistive material. The mineral microtubules may also be coated with a photoconductive material.

An ion guide for mass spectrometry comprising an electrode arrangement of at least two electrodes, at least one of which is an RF electrode, arranged adjacent to each other but spaced apart on a planar surface of a dielectric material and arranged at a distance from an ion flow path, wherein a portion of the dielectric surface is exposed between an adjacent pair of the spaced apart electrodes and wherein at least one electrode of said adjacent pair of electrodes is arranged to overhang the exposed portion of surface between them such that there is no direct line of sight from the ion flow path to the exposed portion of dielectric surface. The device enables RF guiding of ions accompanied by much reduced charging-up of dielectric surfaces and reduced amount of collisions of neutral species with electrodes.

Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated via depositions of one or more materials in a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. Selectivity of deposition is obtained via a multi-cell controllable mask. Alternatively, net selective deposition is obtained via a blanket deposition and a selective removal of material via a multi-cell mask. Individual cells of the mask may contain electrodes comprising depositable material or electrodes capable of receiving etched material from a substrate. Alternatively, individual cells may include passages that allow or inhibit ion flow between a substrate and an external electrode and that include electrodes or other control elements that can be used to selectively allow or inhibit ion flow and thus inhibit significant deposition or etching. Single cell masks having a cell size that is smaller or equal to the desired deposition resolution may also be used to form structures.

A cross-flow ion mobility analyzer (CIMA) that includes a component of gas flow that opposes an electric field that is established within a channel, wherein ions are carried through the channel, wherein ions of a specific mobility are trapped by the opposing electric field and flow field within the channel and are detected when the ions reach the end of the channel, wherein a detector at the end of the channel sees a continuous stream of mobility-selected ions, and wherein different ions are selected by modifying the electric field and / or the velocity of the flow field.

The invention discloses an electrospray ion source, which comprises a hollow capillary tube, a vacuum chamber, electrodes and a direct-current power supply. One end of the hollow capillary tube is used as a sampling end, the other end of the hollow capillary tube is used as an electrospray nozzle, the nozzle and the sampling end are arranged in different pressure environments, the nozzle extends into the vacuum chamber, the pressure for the nozzle is lower than the pressure for the sampling end, the electrodes are arranged in the vacuum chamber and behind the nozzle and are provided with a channel for electrospray to pass through, and the direct-current power supply is applied between the hollow capillary tube and the electrodes. The electrospray ion source can be used as a simple ionization device to generate stable ion flow, and is particularly suitable for use as an ion source of a portable mass spectrometer, and the true real-time online field detection and analysis and electrospray ionization can be realized.

A method of tandem mass spectrometry is disclosed. A quasi-continuous stream of ions from an ion source (20) and having a relatively broad range of mass to charge ratio ions is segmented temporally into a plurality of segments. Each segment is subjected to an independently selected degree of fragmentation, so that, for example, some segments of the broad mass range are fragmented whilst others are not. The resultant ion population, containing both precursor and fragment ions, is analyzed in a single acquisition cycle using a high resolution mass analyser (150). The technique allows the analysis of the initial ion population to be optimized for analytical limitations.

The invention is directed, in part, to stable compositions of suspended carbon nanotubes, methods of making them, and uses thereof. The invention provides methods of producing high and low concentrations of highly dispersed carbon nanotubes suspended in a liquid. The carbon nanotube suspensions are of use in generating products with improved strength, weight, strength to weight ratio, electrical and thermal versatility, radiation shielding, capacitance, dielectric properties, selective ion flow, catalytic activity and biological applications. The invention provides for industrial processing of materials comprising carbon nanotubes such as, but not limited to, fibers, films, synthetic membranes, coatings, drug delivery systems, and molecular circuitry components.