Patent ID: 6882767

Claim:
A room temperature nanowire switching device comprising: a nanowire structure comprising an elongated member having a cross-sectional diameter ranging from about 1 nanometers but less than about 300 nanometers; a first terminal coupled to a first portion of the nanowire structure; a second terminal coupled to a second portion of the nanowire structure, the second portion of the nanowire structure being disposed spatially from the first portion of the nanowire structure; and an active surface structure comprising a first chemical species coupled to the nanowire structure, the active surface structure extending from the first portion to second portion along the elongated member; whereupon the nanowire structure has a first conductivity value as measured between the first terminal and the second terminal while the active surface is subjected to a first intensity of electro-magnetic radiation illumination, the nanowire structure having a second conductivity value as measured between the first terminal and the second while the active surface is subjected to a second intensity of electro-magnetic radiation illumination; wherein the electro-magnetic radiation illumination releases a portion of the first chemical species from the active surface structure; wherein the first chemical species can be selected from O 2 , NO 2 , H 2 O, NO, and SO 2 ; and wherein the device is operable at room temperature.