Signal conduction for doped semiconductors

A system comprising:

• a first device having a surface and including a plurality of micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor regions extending along the surface of the first device;
• and
• a plurality of wire devices, each having a surface opposite the surface of the first device and each including a micrometer-scale or smaller wire extending through the respective wire device to at least one position in proximity to the surface of the respective wire device;
• wherein each of the wire devices is displaceable between respective first and second positions relative to the first device and its respective wire is substantially electrically coupled to a respective group of the plurality of doped semiconductor regions in the second position and is not substantially electrically coupled to the respective group of doped semiconductor regions in the first position, whereby a potential applied to the wire of one of the plurality of wire devices affects conductivity of its respective group of the plurality of doped semiconductor regions in the second position.

A method of substantially electrically coupling a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor region to a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry wire in a system wherein a first device has a surface and includes the doped semiconductor region extending along its surface, a second device has a surface opposite the surface of the first device and includes the wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device comprising:

• displacing the first and second devices relative to each other;
• receiving a signal from a sensor indicating the relative position of wire and the doped semiconductor region;
• and
• determining whether the wire and the doped semiconductor region are aligned in response to the signal from the sensor.

A method of substantially electrically coupling a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry wire to one of a plurality of micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor regions in a system wherein a first device has a surface and includes the plurality of doped semiconductor regions extending along its surface, a second device has a surface opposite the surface of the first device and includes the wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device comprising:

• receiving a signal identifying one of the doped semiconductor regions;
• reading position information from memory corresponding to the identified doped semiconductor region;
• and
• displacing one of the first and second devices in response to the position information.

A system comprising:

• a first device having a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor region;
• a second device having a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry signal conductor;
• and
• an actuator for displacing the first and second devices relative to each other between first and second positions;
• wherein the doped semiconductor region is substantially conductive in the first position and not in the second position.

A system comprising:

• a first device including micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor region;
• a second device including micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first means for activating and deactivating the doped semiconductor region;
• and
• second means for displacing the first and second devices relative to each other between first and second positions;
• wherein the doped semiconductor is activated in the first position and deactivated in the second position.