Electromechanical three-trace junction devices
First Claim
8. A circuit array, comprising a lower structure having a plurality of lower electrically conductive elements and a plurality of lower support structures;
- an upper structure having a plurality of upper electrically conductive elements and a plurality of upper support structures; and
a plurality of nanotube ribbons disposed between the lower and upper structures and in contact with the lower support structures and the upper support structures, each nanotube ribbon having a longitudinal orientation that crosses the longitudinal orientation of the plurality of lower and upper electrically conductive elements, and wherein each location where a nanotube ribbon crosses an electrically conductive element defines a circuit cell, and wherein a nanotube ribbon is movable within a circuit cell in response to electrical stimulus applied to at least one of the electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbons.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Three trace electromechanical circuits and methods of using same are described. A circuit includes first and second electrically conductive elements with a nanotube ribbon (or other electromechanical elements) disposed therebetween. The nanotube ribbon is movable toward at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements in response to electrical stimulus applied to at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbon. Such circuits may be formed into arrays of cells. The upper and lower electrically conductive traces may be aligned or unaligned vertically. An electrical stimulus may be applied to at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbon to move the nanotube ribbon toward at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements. Electrical signals from at least one the first and second electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbon may be sensed to determine the electrical state of the cell. The states may be assigned in a variety of ways. For example, if the ribbon is moved toward the first electrically conductive element, the electrical state is a first state; if the ribbon is moved toward the second electrically conductive element, the electrical state is a second state; and if the ribbon is between the first and second electrically conductive elements, the electrical state is a third state. The first, second, and third states each corresponds to a different information encoding. Or, electrical stimulus may be applied to both the first and second electrically conductive elements so that the first and second electrically conductive elements both cause the movement of the nanotube ribbon. Or, the first and second electrically conductive elements are used in a fault tolerant manner.
-
Citations
44 Claims
-
8. A circuit array, comprising
a lower structure having a plurality of lower electrically conductive elements and a plurality of lower support structures; -
an upper structure having a plurality of upper electrically conductive elements and a plurality of upper support structures; and
a plurality of nanotube ribbons disposed between the lower and upper structures and in contact with the lower support structures and the upper support structures, each nanotube ribbon having a longitudinal orientation that crosses the longitudinal orientation of the plurality of lower and upper electrically conductive elements, and wherein each location where a nanotube ribbon crosses an electrically conductive element defines a circuit cell, and wherein a nanotube ribbon is movable within a circuit cell in response to electrical stimulus applied to at least one of the electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbons. - View Dependent Claims (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
34-1. The circuit array of claim 8 wherein the upper electrically conductive elements are made of low melting point metal.
-
35. A circuit, comprising
a first electrically conductive element; -
a second electrically conductive element; and
an electromechanically responsive element disposed between the first and second electrically conductive elements, wherein the nanotube ribbon is movable toward at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements in response to electrical stimulus applied to at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbon. - View Dependent Claims (36)
-
-
37. A circuit array, comprising
a lower structure having a plurality of lower electrically conductive elements and a plurality of lower support structures; -
an upper structure having a plurality of upper electrically conductive elements and a plurality of upper support structures; and
a plurality of electromechanically responsive elements disposed between the lower and upper structures and in contact with the lower support structures and the upper support structures, each electromechanically responsive element having a longitudinal orientation that crosses the longitudinal orientation of the plurality of lower and upper electrically conductive elements, and wherein each location where an electromechanically responsive element crosses an electrically conductive element defines a circuit cell, and wherein an electromechanically responsive element is movable within a circuit cell in response to electrical stimulus applied to at least one of the electrically conductive elements and the electromechanically responsive elements. - View Dependent Claims (38)
-
-
39. A method of using a circuit cell having a first electrically conductive element, a second electrically conductive element, and a nanotube ribbon disposed between the first and second electrically conductive elements, comprising:
-
applying electrical stimulus to at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbon to move the nanotube ribbon toward at least one of the first and second electrically conductive elements;
sensing electrical signals from at least one the first and second electrically conductive elements and the nanotube ribbon to determine the electrical state of the cell. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
Specification