US Patent 7651944 - Nanowire electronics

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7651944.html

This patent from Nanosys has priority going back to 2002 and includes some basic claims to the use of semiconductor nanowires in the fabrication of electronics, displays, and sensors.
Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of making a nanowire based device, comprising:

depositing a plurality of nanowires on at least a first region of a surface of a substrate; and

forming at least first and second electrical contacts on the first region of the surface of the substrate such that at least a first nanowire of the plurality of nanowires is positioned in contact with both the first and second electrical contacts,

wherein the plurality of nanowires are made from a material selected from the group comprising Si, Ge, Sn, Se, Te, P, Si—C, Si—Ge, Si—Sn, Ge—Sn, SiC, AlN/AlP/AlAs/AlSb, GaN/GaP/GaAs/GaSb, InN/InP/InAs/InSb, AlN/AlP/AlAs/AlSb, GaN/GaP/GaAs/GaSb, InN/InP/InAs/InSb, ZnO/ZnS/ZnSe/ZnTe, CdS/CdSe/CdTe, HgS/HgSe/HgTe, BeS/BeSe/BeTe/MgS/MgSe, GeS, GeSe, GeTe, SnS, SnSe, SnTe, PbO, PbS, PbSe, PbTe, CuF, CuCl, CuBr, CuI, AgF, AgCl, AgBr, AgI, BeSiN2, CaCN2, ZnGeP2, CdSnAs2, ZnSnSb2, CuGeP3, CuSi2P3, (Cu, Ag)(Al, Ga, In, Tl, Fe)(S, Se, Te)2, Si3N4, Ge3N4, Al2O3, (Al, Ga, In)2(S, Se, Te)3, or Al2CO or alloys thereof,

wherein the first and second electrical contacts are separated from each other on the first surface of the substrate by a distance that is less than 50% of an average length of the plurality of nanowires.