US Patent 7960653 - Conductive nanowires for electrical interconnect

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7960653.html

When integrating several different types of components (e.g. CMOS, MEMS, electro-optics) on a single semiconductor chip one problem is to create reliable electrical interconnects that are compatible with different thermal, mechanical, and electrical characteristics of each type of component. This patent from HP teaches a solution based on nanowire interconnects. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electrical interconnect, comprising:

first and second electrical contacts to be electrically connected, each electrical contact comprising a plurality of electrically conductive nanowires extending outwardly from a respective electrical contact; and

said nanowires of said first electrical contact configured to contact with said nanowires of said second electrical contact such that an electrical connection is established between said first electrical contact and said second electrical contact;

wherein said nanowires of said first and second electrical contacts comprise different materials such that contact between nanowires of said first and second electrical contacts is contact between two different materials.