Patents by Inventor Ali Afzali Ardakani

Ali Afzali Ardakani has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10096778
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube based device, including forming a trench having a bottom surface and sidewalls on a substrate, selectively depositing a bi-functional compound having two reactive moieties in the trench, wherein a first of the two reactive moieties selectively binds to the bottom surface, converting a second of the two reactive moieties to a diazonium salt; and reacting the diazonium salt with a dispersion of carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotube layer bound to the bottom surface of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bharat Kumar, George S. Tulevski
  • Publication number: 20180276682
    Abstract: A unique ID using optically visible carbon nanotubes with nanocrystal decoration is provided. In one aspect, a method for creating a unique ID includes: providing a substrate having an array of trenches; randomly placing carbon nanotubes throughout the array such that each trench either contains a carbon nanotube or does not, wherein the random placement of the carbon nanotubes throughout the array of trenches includes code information that forms the unique ID; and coating the carbon nanotubes with optically visible nanocrystals. A unique ID and authentication method using the unique ID are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Shu-Jen Han
  • Patent number: 10084139
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube based device, including forming a trench having a bottom surface and sidewalls on a substrate, selectively depositing a bi-functional compound having two reactive moieties in the trench, wherein a first of the two reactive moieties selectively binds to the bottom surface, converting a second of the two reactive moieties to a diazonium salt; and reacting the diazonium salt with a dispersion of carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotube layer bound to the bottom surface of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bharat Kumar, George S. Tulevski
  • Publication number: 20180269412
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for placing carbon nanotubes on a dielectric includes: using DSA of a block copolymer to create a pattern in the placement guide layer on the dielectric which includes multiple trenches in the placement guide layer, wherein there is a first charge on sidewall and top surfaces of the trenches and a second charge on bottom surfaces of the trenches, and wherein the first charge is different from the second charge; and depositing a carbon nanotube solution onto the dielectric, wherein self-assembly of the deposited carbon nanotubes within the trenches occurs based on i) attractive forces between the first charge on the surfaces of the carbon nanotubes and the second charge on the bottom surfaces of the trenches and ii) repulsive forces between the first charge on the surfaces of the carbon nanotubes and the first charge on sidewall and top surfaces of the trenches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Sarunya Bangsaruntip, Shu-Jen Han, HsinYu Tsai
  • Patent number: 10040682
    Abstract: A technique for a nanodevice is provided. The nanodevice includes a fluidic cell, and a membrane dividing the fluidic cell. A nanopore is formed through the membrane, and the nanopore is coated with an organic compound. A first part of the organic compound binds to a surface of the nanopore and a second part of the organic compound is exposed freely inside of the nanopore. The second part of the organic compound is configured to be switched among a first neutral hydrophilic end group, a second negatively charged hydrophilic end group, and a third neutral hydrophobic end group based on a switching mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Stefan Harrer, Binquan Luan, Hongbo Peng, Gustavo A. Stolovitzky, Deqiang Wang
  • Patent number: 10036744
    Abstract: Techniques for selective placement of carbon nanotubes using bifunctional acid monolayers are provided. In one aspect, a method for selective placement of carbon nanotubes on a metal oxide surface includes the steps of: dispersing poly-fluorene polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes in an organic solvent; creating a patterned monolayer of a bifunctional acid on the metal oxide surface, wherein the bifunctional acid comprises a first acid functional group for binding to the metal oxide surface, and a second acid functional group for binding to the poly-fluorene polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes; and contacting the poly-fluorene polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes dispersed in the organic solvent with the patterned monolayer of the bifunctional acid on the metal oxide surface to selectively place the carbon nanotubes on the metal oxide surface via the patterned monolayer of the bifunctional acid. A carbon nanotube-based device and method of formation thereof are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, James B. Hannon, George S. Tulevski
  • Patent number: 10029915
    Abstract: A technique for a nanodevice is provided. The nanodevice includes a fluidic cell, and a membrane dividing the fluidic cell. A nanopore is formed through the membrane, and the nanopore is coated with an organic compound. A first part of the organic compound binds to a surface of the nanopore and a second part of the organic compound is exposed freely inside of the nanopore. The second part of the organic compound is configured to be switched among a first neutral hydrophilic end group, a second negatively charged hydrophilic end group, and a third neutral hydrophobic end group based on a switching mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Stefan Harrer, Binquan Luan, Hongbo Peng, Gustavo A. Stolovitzky, Deqiang Wang
  • Patent number: 10032730
    Abstract: Silicon-based or other electronic circuitry is dissolved or otherwise disabled by reactive materials within a semiconductor chip should the chip or a device containing the chip be subjected to tampering. Triggering circuits containing normally-OFF heterojunction field-effect photo-transistors are configured to cause reactions of the reactive materials within the chips upon exposure to light. The normally-OFF heterojunction field-effect photo-transistors can be fabricated during back-end-of-line processing through the use of polysilicon channel material, amorphous hydrogenated silicon gate contacts, hydrogenated crystalline silicon source/drain contacts, or other materials that allow processing at low temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Joel P. de Souza, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Daniel M. Kuchta, Devendra K. Sadana
  • Publication number: 20180188171
    Abstract: A chemical sensor, methods of forming the same, and methods of performing chemical detection include a carbon nanotube test surface. A detector is configured to receive a signal from the carbon nanotube test surface responsive to illumination on the nanotube test surface. A matching module is configured to determine whether a chemical is present at the carbon nanotube test surface based on a comparison between the signal and a spectral profile of the chemical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Abram L. Falk, Damon B. Farmer, Shu-Jen Han, George S. Tulevski
  • Patent number: 10003036
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes an inorganic substrate having a surface; an organic monolayer disposed onto the surface of the inorganic substrate, the inorganic monolayer having the following formula: ˜X—Y, wherein X is an oxygen or a sulfur; Y is an alkyl chain, an alkenyl chain, or an alkynyl chain; and X covalently bonds to the surface of the inorganic substrate by a covalent bond; a doped organic material layer disposed onto the organic monolayer; and a conductive electrode disposed onto a portion of the doped organic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Tze-Chiang Chen, Oki Gunawan, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari
  • Patent number: 9972797
    Abstract: Device architectures based on trapping and de-trapping holes or electrons and/or recombination of both types of carriers are obtained by carrier trapping either in near-interface deep ambipolar states or in quantum wells/dots, either serving as ambipolar traps in semiconductor layers or in gate dielectric/barrier layers. In either case, the potential barrier for trapping is small and retention is provided by carrier confinement in the deep trap states and/or quantum wells/dots. The device architectures are usable as three terminal or two terminal devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Tze-Chiang Chen, Kailash Gopalakrishnan, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari
  • Publication number: 20180116530
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a wearable sensor structure that includes multiple individual sensor units placed in a row. Each individual sensor unit includes a first portion to contact a surface of skin under which arteries and/or veins are to be located, and a second portion that contacts the first portion and is configured to have a capacitance. The first and second portions are configured to create a capacitance change in response to a squeezing or bending between the first portion and a fixed part of the second portion caused by a pulse pressure and release of the pulse pressure. The apparatus includes circuitry configured to measure waveforms for the individual sensor units. Each waveform captures the capacitance change for its corresponding individual sensor unit. The apparatus includes a wireless interface configured to transmit the waveforms. A computing system is also disclosed that analyzes the waveforms and can provide alerts based thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Kang-Wook Lee, Robert S. Olyha, JR.
  • Publication number: 20180095053
    Abstract: A method for making a hydrophobic biosensing device includes forming alternating layers over a top and sides of a fin on a dielectric layer to form a stack of layers. The stack of layers are planarized to expose the top of the fin. The fin and every other layer are removed to form a cathode group of fins and an anode group of fins. A hydrophobic surface on the two groups of fins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Karthik Balakrishnan, Stephen W. Bedell, Pouya Hashemi, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 9933420
    Abstract: A graphene nanomesh based charge sensor and method for producing a graphene nanomesh based charge sensor. The method includes generating multiple holes in graphene to create a graphene nanomesh with a patterned array of multiple holes; passivating an edge of each of the multiple holes of the graphene nanomesh to allow for functionalization of the graphene nanomesh; and functionalizing the passivated edge of each of the multiple holes of the graphene nanomesh with a chemical compound that facilitates chemical binding of a receptor of a target molecule to the edge of one or more of the multiple holes, wherein the receptor is a molecule that chemically binds to the target molecule, irrespective of the size of the target molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Egypt Nanotechnology Center
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Shu-jen Han, Amal Kasry, Ahmed Maarouf, Glenn J. Martyna, Razvan Nistor, Hsinyu Tsai
  • Publication number: 20180076406
    Abstract: A method for inorganic surface passivation in a photovoltaic device includes etching a native oxide over an inorganic substrate, the inorganic substrate having a surface; and forming an organic monolayer on the surface of the inorganic substrate to form a heterojunction, the organic monolayer having the following formula: ˜X—Y, wherein X is an oxygen or a sulfur; Y is an alkyl chain, an alkenyl chain, or an alkynyl chain; and X covalently bonds to the surface of the inorganic substrate by a covalent bond.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Davood Shahrjerdi
  • Publication number: 20180062081
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube based device, including forming a trench having a bottom surface and sidewalls on a substrate, selectively depositing a bi-functional compound having two reactive moieties in the trench, wherein a first of the two reactive moieties selectively binds to the bottom surface, converting a second of the two reactive moieties to a diazonium salt; and reacting the diazonium salt with a dispersion of carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotube layer bound to the bottom surface of the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bharat Kumar, George S. Tulevski
  • Patent number: 9884827
    Abstract: A method of forming a structure having selectively placed carbon nanotubes, a method of making charged carbon nanotubes, a bi-functional precursor, and a structure having a high density carbon nanotube layer with minimal bundling. Carbon nanotubes are selectively placed on a substrate having two regions. The first region has an isoelectric point exceeding the second region's isoelectric point. The substrate is immersed in a solution of a bi-functional precursor having anchoring and charged ends. The anchoring end bonds to the first region to form a self-assembled monolayer having a charged end. The substrate with charged monolayer is immersed in a solution of carbon nanotubes having an opposite charge to form a carbon nanotube layer on the self-assembled monolayer. The charged carbon nanotubes are made by functionalization or coating with an ionic surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Hongsik Park, George S. Tulevski
  • Patent number: 9882153
    Abstract: A method for inorganic surface passivation in a photovoltaic device includes etching a native oxide over an inorganic substrate, the inorganic substrate having a surface; and forming an organic monolayer on the surface of the inorganic substrate to form a heterojunction, the organic monolayer having the following formula: ˜X—Y, wherein X is an oxygen or a sulfur; Y is an alkyl chain, an alkenyl chain, or an alkynyl chain; and X covalently bonds to the surface of the inorganic substrate by a covalent bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Davood Shahrjerdi
  • Publication number: 20180019401
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube based device, including forming a trench having a bottom surface and sidewalls on a substrate, selectively depositing a bi-functional compound having two reactive moieties in the trench, wherein a first of the two reactive moieties selectively binds to the bottom surface, converting a second of the two reactive moieties to a diazonium salt; and reacting the diazonium salt with a dispersion of carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotube layer bound to the bottom surface of the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bharat Kumar, George S. Tulevski
  • Publication number: 20180019402
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube based device, including forming a trench having a bottom surface and sidewalls on a substrate, selectively depositing a bi-functional compound having two reactive moieties in the trench, wherein a first of the two reactive moieties selectively binds to the bottom surface, converting a second of the two reactive moieties to a diazonium salt; and reacting the diazonium salt with a dispersion of carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotube layer bound to the bottom surface of the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Bharat Kumar, George S. Tulevski