Configurable nanoscale crossbar electronic circuits made by electrochemical reaction

Abstract

Configurable electronic circuits comprise arrays of cross-points of one layer of metal/semiconductive nanoscale lines crossed by a second layer of metal/semiconductive nanoscale lines, with a configurable layer between the lines. Methods are provided for altering the thickness and/or resistance of the configurable layer by oxidation or reduction methods, employing a solid material as the configurable layer. Specifically a method is provided for configuring nanoscale devices in a crossbar array of configurable devices comprising arrays of cross-points of a first layer of nanoscale lines comprising a first metal or a first semiconductor material crossed by a second layer of nanoscale lines comprising a second metal or a second semiconductor material. The method comprises: (a) forming the first layer on a substrate; (b) forming a solid phase of a configurable material on the first layer at least in areas where the second layer is to cross the first layer; (c) forming the second layer on the configurable material, over the first layer; and (d) changing a property of the configurable material to thereby configure the nanoscale devices.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.