Substrate including silica

Abstract

An assembly, such as for growing carbon nanotubes, includes a substrate including SiO2 and has a thickness of less than 500 μm. Further, the substrate is bendable and has a surface with non-flat or non-polished texture such that surface comprises raised and recessed features for receiving a coating, such as a catalyst. Carbon nanotubes may be anchored to and grow from the recessed features of the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate formed from a glass material of (SiO 2 ) 1-x-y .M′ x M″ y  composition, where either or both of M′ and M″ is an element, dopant, or substitution, which may be in an oxide form, or combination thereof, or is omitted, and where the sum of x plus y is less than 1;
 wherein the glass material has a high softening point temperature, that being greater than 800° C.; 
 wherein the substrate is arranged as a thin sheet having a thickness of less than 500 μm; 
 wherein the substrate has a minimum dimension orthogonal to the thickness that is less than 100 m and greater than 1 mm; 
 wherein the substrate may bend to a radius of curvature of at least 500 mm without fracture when at room temperature of 25° C.; and 
 wherein the substrate has a surface that comprises raised and recessed features, wherein at least some of the raised features extend from the surface a distance of at least 10 angstroms further than the recessed features, wherein the raised and recessed features are formed in the glass material of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         2 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a non-circular periphery orthogonal to the thickness thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate of  claim 2 , wherein the non-circular periphery is rectilinear. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises intersecting elongate features, the elongate features having a length at least ten times a width thereof, wherein at least some of the elongate features have a width that is greater than 2 μm and less than 10 mm; and wherein texture of the surface is at least in part formed by the intersecting elongate features, wherein at least some of the raised features of the surface extend outward from the surface a distance of at least 2 μm greater than at least some of the recessed features of the surface. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the glass material of the substrate has a high softening point temperature, that being greater than 1000° C. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate of  claim 5 , wherein the glass material has a particularly low coefficient of thermal expansion, that being less than 10×10 −7 /° C. in the temperature range of about 50 to 300° C. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the glass material of the substrate consists of at least 99.5% SiO 2  by weight. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a thickness of less than 250 μm. 
     
     
         9 . A substrate, comprising:
 SiO 2  material;   wherein the substrate is arranged as a thin sheet having a thickness between 50 μm and 1 mm;   wherein the substrate has a minimum dimension orthogonal to the thickness that is less than 100 m and greater than 1 mm;   wherein the substrate may bend to a radius of curvature of at least 500 mm without fracture when at room temperature of 25° C.;   wherein the surface comprises intersecting elongate features, the elongate features having a length at least ten times a width thereof, wherein at least some of the elongate features have a width that is greater than 2 μm and less than 10 mm; and   wherein texture of the surface comprises raised and recessed features at least in part formed by the intersecting elongate features, wherein at least some of the raised features of the surface extend outward from the surface a distance of at least 2 μm greater than at least some of the recessed features of the surface, wherein the raised and recessed features are formed in the SiO 2  material of the substrate.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate has a non-circular periphery orthogonal to the thickness thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The substrate of  claim 10 , wherein the non-circular periphery is rectilinear. 
     
     
         12 . The substrate of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate has a high softening point temperature, that being greater than 800° C. 
     
     
         13 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate has a particularly low coefficient of thermal expansion, that being less than 10×10 −7 /° C. in the temperature range of about 50 to 300° C. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate consists of a glass at least 99.5% SiO 2  by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate has a thickness of less than 250 μm. 
     
     
         16 . A fused silica substrate having a softening point temperature greater than 800° C.;
 wherein the fused silica substrate is arranged as a thin sheet having a thickness of less than 500 μm; 
 wherein the fused silica substrate has a minimum dimension orthogonal to the thickness that is less than 100 m and greater than 1 mm; 
 wherein the fused silica substrate may bend to a radius of curvature of at least 500 mm without fracture when at room temperature of 25° C.; and 
 wherein the substrate has a surface that comprises raised and recessed features, wherein at least some of the raised features extend from the surface a distance of at least 10 angstroms further than the recessed features, wherein the raised and recessed features are formed in the fused silica of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         17 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 16 , wherein the fused silica substrate has a softening point temperature, that being greater than 1000° C., and wherein the fused silica substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 10×10 −7 /° C. in the temperature range of about 50 to 300° C. 
     
     
         18 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate has a density greater than 1.0 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         19 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 18 , wherein the substrate consists of at least 99.5% SiO 2  by weight. 
     
     
         20 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 19 , wherein the substrate allows transmittance of ultraviolet, visible, and/or near infrared light that is greater than 90%. 
     
     
         21 . A fused silica substrate having a softening point temperature greater than 800° C.;
 wherein the fused silica substrate is arranged as a thin sheet having a thickness of between 50 μm and 1 mm; 
 wherein the fused silica substrate has a minimum dimension orthogonal to the thickness that is less than 100 m and greater than 1 mm; 
 wherein the fused silica substrate has a non-circular periphery orthogonal to the thickness thereof; and 
 wherein the fused silica substrate has a surface that comprises raised and recessed features, wherein at least some of the raised features extend from the surface a distance of at least 10 angstroms further than the recessed features, and wherein the raised and recessed features are formed in the fused silica of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         22 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 21 , wherein the non-circular periphery is rectilinear. 
     
     
         23 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 21 , wherein the non-circular periphery is rectangular. 
     
     
         24 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 21 , wherein the surface comprises intersecting elongate features. 
     
     
         25 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 24 , wherein the elongate features having a length at least ten times a width thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 25 , wherein at least some of the elongate features have a width that is greater than 2 μm and less than 10 mm. 
     
     
         27 . The fused silica substrate of  claim 26 , wherein texture of the surface is at least in part formed by the intersecting elongate features, and wherein at least some of the raised features of the surface extend outward from the surface a distance of at least 2 μm greater than at least some of the recessed features of the surface.