US Patent 7164744 - Nanotube Logic Drivers

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7164744.pdf

Nantero is the leading U.S. patent holder for nanotube based electronics and, while most of their patents are directed toward non-volatile mechanical memory, more recent patents focus on nanotube based logic or other circuit configurations. This patent is directed toward nanotube switching circuits for driver circuitry .

1. An off-chip driver circuit, comprising: a differential input having a first and second signal links, each coupled to a respective one of two differential, on-chip signals; at least one output link connectable to an off-chip impedance load; and at least one switching element having an input node, an output node, a nanotube channel element, and a control structure disposed in relation to the nanotube channel element to controllably form and unform an electrically conductive channel between said input node and said output node; wherein the input node coupled to a reference signal and the control structure is coupled to the first and second signal links and the output node is coupled to the output link, and wherein the nanotube channel element is sized to carry sufficient current to drive said off-chip impedance load.