US Patent 7112464 - Vertical Nanofabric Switches

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7112464.pdf

Many companies are proposing using nanotubes as components in future transistor designs, however Nantero is way ahead in terms of patents directed to nanotube based electronics which are suitable for mass production. This patent teaches manufacturing nanotube ribbons in a vertical orientation on a substrate which are capable of acting as mechanical switches. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for making an electro-mechanical device, comprising: providing a structure having a channel with two vertical walls and a base and having a conductive trace having a face exposed to and parallel to one of the vertical walls; providing sacrificial material on the conductive trace; providing a nanotube article on the sacrificial layer and substantially conforming to at least a vertically-extending portion of the channel and sacrificial material; and removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material so that the nanotube article is vertically suspended and in spaced relation to the one conductive trace.