STTR Phase I: A Carbon Nanotube Metrology System for Industry and Research Environments

这个小型企业技术转移(STTR)第一阶段项目将开发世界上第一个量化、低成本、可重复和快速的方法来表征单壁碳纳米管(SWNT)，以获得对纳米技术界至关重要的参数。目前市场上只有几种计量学技术能够测量碳纳米管的主要性质，即物种、杂质和结构性质，用于生产过程改进和研究中的常规质量验证。然而，目前市场上还没有一种仪器能提供低成本、低复杂性和重复性的理想计量特性。Ada Technologies，Inc.计划通过一种新的光学光谱技术与拉曼光谱相结合来开发这种计量工具。在这个第一阶段的项目中，主要的技术目标将是设计、制造和测试原型系统。将使用传统的计量技术对结果进行独立验证。ADA将与单壁碳纳米管计量、拉曼光谱和单壁碳纳米管生产领域的领导者合作。将进行成本/效益分析，以确保新的计量工具比现有工具具有商业优势。拟议的工作将为纳米科技界提供与现有系统相比的显著优势，从而成为帮助加快单壁碳纳米管商业化的新工具。在商业上，全球有50多家商业碳纳米管生产商和约700家从事碳纳米管研究的机构。目前碳纳米管的总产量水平为每年几吨，市场规模约为1.7亿美元。据预测，到2010年，未来的市场规模约为36亿美元，复合年增长率为60%。尽管增长迅速，但今天CNT技术仍然需要的一项关键使能技术是更好的计量学。虽然基于荧光光谱和原子力显微镜的仪器可以测量物种、杂质和结构特征的关键参数，但其复杂性、成本高和重复性差阻碍了它们的应用。拟议的集成系统将提供第一个定量、低成本、可重复和快速的手段来表征碳纳米管行业关键参数的单壁碳纳米管。这一新能力将有助于增进对碳纳米管的科学和技术了解，从而改善工业过程控制和加强研究中的质量验证。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop the world's first quantitative, low cost, reproducible, and rapid means to characterize single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for the parameters critical to the nanotechnology community. Only a few metrology techniques on the market today offer the ability to measure the main carbon nanotube properties i.e., species, impurities, and structural properties for process improvement in production and routine quality validation in research. However, no instrument presently on the market offers the desirable metrology characteristics of low cost, low complexity, and reproducibility. ADA Technologies, Inc. proposes to develop this metrology tool through a novel optical spectroscopy technique coupled with Raman spectroscopy. Major technical objectives will be to design, fabricate, and test a prototype system in this Phase I project. Independent validation of results will be made with conventional metrology techniques. ADA will collaborate with leaders in SWNT metrology, Raman spectroscopy, and SWNT production. A cost/benefit analysis will be done to ensure the new metrology tool offers commercial advantages over existing tools. The proposed work will offer the nanotechnology community a significant advantage compared to existing systems and thus a new tool to help accelerate commercialization of SWNTs.Commercially, there are 50 plus commercial producers of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) worldwide and some 700 institutions engaged in CNT research. Total current production levels for CNTs are several tons per year for a market of ~$170M. Forecasts place the future market at around $3.6B by 2010, representing a compound annual growth rate of 60%. Despite this rapid growth, a key enabling technology still needed in CNT technology today is better metrology. Although instruments based on fluorescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy can measure the critical parameters of species, impurities, and structural characteristics, application of them is hindered by their complexity, high cost and poor reproducibility. The proposed integrated system will offer the first quantitative, low cost, reproducible, and rapid means to characterize SWNTs for the parameters critical to the CNT industry. This new capability will facilitate enhanced scientific and technological understanding of CNTs, resulting in improved process control in industry and enhanced quality validation in research.