Deposition method for nanostructure materials

Abstract

A method of depositing a coating of a nanostructure material onto a substrate includes: (1) forming a solution of suspension of coating the nanostructure material; (2) selectively adding “chargers” to the solution; (3) immersing electrodes in the solution, the substrate upon which the nanostructure material is to be deposited acting as one of the electrodes; (4) applying a direct and/or alternating current electrical field between the two electrodes for a certain period of time thereby causing the nanostructure materials in the solution to migrate toward and attach themselves to the substrate electrode; and (5) subsequent optional processing of the coated substrate.

1 . A method of depositing a nanostructure-containing multilayer structure onto a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a multilayer structure comprising a substrate and a plurality of additional layers disposed on the substrate;   providing a plurality of exposed areas on a surface of the substrate;   forming a suspension of pre-formed nanostructure-containing material in a liquid medium;   selectively adding a charger to the liquid medium;   immersing at least one electrode and the multilayer structure in the suspension;   applying a direct or alternating current to the electrode and the multilayer structure thereby creating an electrical field therebetween;   whereby the nanostructure-containing material is caused to migrate toward, and attach to, the exposed areas on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . A multilayer structure comprising a substrate having a surface with a plurality of areas coated with a nanostructure-containing material made by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 . A method of depositing a composite layer with at least one component being carbon nanotubes onto a substrate, the method comprising:
 forming a suspension containing at least carbon nanotubes and an adhesion promoting material in a liquid medium;   selectively adding a charger to the liquid medium;   immersing electrodes in the suspension, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises the substrate; and   applying a direct or alternating current to the immersed electrodes thereby creating an electrical field between the electrodes;   wherein the carbon nanotubes and the adhesion promoting material co-deposit on the substrate to form a composite layer, the composite layer having an intimate mix of the carbon nanotubes and adhesion-promoting material.   
     
     
         4 . A method of forming an adherent composite layer with at least one component being carbon nanotubes onto a substrate, the method comprising:
 forming multiple electrophoretic baths wherein a first bath contains at least small particles of adhesion promoting materials and chargers and a second bath contains at least carbon nanotubes and chargers in a liquid medium;   sequentially depositing multiple layers onto the substrate by electrophoretic deposition using the multiple electrophoretic baths wherein each layer has a different chemical composition; and   annealing the substrate such that the multiple layers deposited on the substrate surface form one composite layer having an intimate mix of the carbon nanotubes and the adhesion-promoting material.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein annealing of the substrate occurs in a vacuum.