US Patent 7262991 - Nanotube/nanocrystal non-volatile memory

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7262991.html

Carbon nanotubes and various metal nanocrystals have both been suggested and implemented in experimental electronic designs. This patent from Intel uses both nanomaterials to achieve an improved high density flash memory. Claim 1 reads:

1. An apparatus comprising: a substrate; a dielectric over the substrate; a carbon nanotube in the dielectric to form a nanotube channel; a source electrode and drain electrode on respective sides of the nanotube channel; metal nanocrystals adjacent to the nanotube channel and between the source electrode and the drain electrode to form an array of discrete floating gates adjacent the carbon nanotube; a tunnel oxide separating the nanocrystals and the carbon nanotube; a gate electrode over the nanocrystals; and a control oxide separating the gate and the nanocrystals.