Patent ID: 7087920
Filing Date: 2006-08-08
Classification: B82Y,G11C,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A nanowire comprising: a single crystalline semiconductor material having an exterior surface and an interior region; and one or more dopant atoms, wherein at least a portion of the nanowire thermally switches between two conductance states, the two conductance states being a high conductance state and a low conductance state, and wherein in the high conductance state, a first fraction of the dopant atoms are in the interior region and a second fraction of the dopant atoms are at the exterior surface, and wherein in the low conductance state, a third fraction of the dopant atoms are in the interior region and a fourth fraction of the dopant atoms are at the exterior surface, the first fraction being greater than the third fraction and the second fraction being less than the fourth fraction.