US Patent 7700915 - Characterization of crystalline tubular molecules

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7700915.html

This patent from Canatu Oy proposes a new method for characterizing carbon nanotubes using electron diffraction. The method provides more reliable results by correcting for anomalous tilt angle of the electron beam. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for determining the atomic structure of at least one tubular crystalline molecule, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

obtaining an electron diffraction pattern of at least one tubular crystalline molecule;

calculating at least one feature of the atomic structure and/or range of atomic structures using at least one calibration-free property of the electron diffraction pattern; and

compensating for an effect of an unexpected, unknown or otherwise uncontrolled tilt angle of the tubular crystalline molecule with respect to an electron beam.