Nanoscale relaxation oscillator

Zettl, Alexander K; Regan, Brian C; Aloni, Shaul

Nanoscale relaxation oscillator

Patent · Tue Apr 07 04:00:00 EDT 2009

OSTI ID:986534

Zettl, Alexander K ^[1]; Regan, Brian C ^[2]; Aloni, Shaul ^[3]

Kensington, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Albany, CA

A nanoscale oscillation device is disclosed, wherein two nanoscale droplets are altered in size by mass transport, then contact each other and merge through surface tension. The device may also comprise a channel having an actuator responsive to mechanical oscillation caused by expansion and contraction of the droplets. It further has a structure for delivering atoms between droplets, wherein the droplets are nanoparticles. Provided are a first particle and a second particle on the channel member, both being made of a chargeable material, the second particle contacting the actuator portion; and electrodes connected to the channel member for delivering a potential gradient across the channel and traversing the first and second particles. The particles are spaced apart a specified distance so that atoms from one particle are delivered to the other particle by mass transport in response to the potential (e.g. voltage potential) and the first and second particles are liquid and touch at a predetermined point of growth, thereby causing merging of the second particle into the first particle by surface tension forces and reverse movement of the actuator. In a preferred embodiment, the channel comprises a carbon nanotube and the droplets comprise metal nanoparticles, e.g. indium, which is readily made liquid.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

Assignee:: The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)

Patent Number(s):: 7,515,010

Application Number:: 11/245,652

OSTI ID:: 986534

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (19)

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Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ACTUATORS
CARBON
DESIGN
DROPLETS
ELECTRODES
MASS TRANSFER
NANOSTRUCTURES
OSCILLATIONS
OSCILLATORS
PARTICULATES
RELAXATION
SURFACE TENSION

Nanoscale relaxation oscillator

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References (19)

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