A nanoprocessor constructed from nanowires or nanotubes is an important component for integrated nanosystems built from the bottom up. Here we present the design, synthesis, and device characteristics of new programmable nanowire transistors and circuits assembled from these building blocks. Ge/Si core/shell nanowires with designed dielectric shells yield nonvolatile nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs). These nanoscale devices showed typical p-type FET behavior in depletion mode with >104 on/off ratio. Significantly, the devices could be programmed into distinct 'active' and 'inactive' FET states and could be reproducibly switched between the two states, where both states have retention times in excess of a year. We also describe assembly and integration of these new programmable nanowire device elements into a crossbar array architecture, which could be programmed to carry out complex logic functions. Our results represent a significant advance in complexity and functionality for bottom-up nanoelectronic circuits, and suggest substantial potential for future nanoprocessors.

Design, synthesis and properties of programmable nanowire transistors for nanoscale circuits and processors

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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