US Patent 7847285 - Configurable power segmentation using nanotubes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7847285.html

This patent from LSI Corporation teaches smart power management of microprocessors using carbon nanotube switches. Claim 1 reads:

1. A microelectronic assembly, comprising:

a transistor layer of an integrated circuit above a semiconductor substrate, the transistor layer including a plurality of transistors;

a power source to supply power to the plurality of transistors; and

a nanotube structure patterned adjacent to the transistor layer, the nanotube structure to be bent to a conductive surface when a current is applied to the nanotube structure, the bent nanotube structure to couple the power source to the plurality of transistors to provide a power to the plurality of transistors, and be bent away from the conductive surface when the current is removed from the nanotube structure, the bent away nanotube structure to decouple the power source from the plurality of transistors to remove the power from the plurality of transistors, the nanotube structure to be bent away from the conductive surface based on a power utilization rate of the plurality of transistors meeting a threshold level.

US Patent 7755111 - Programmable power management using nanotubes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7755111.html

Smart power management is becoming more necessary for integrated circuits in order to deal with increased leakage current as MOSFET gate oxide thickness is decreased. This patent from LSI Corporation teaches using nanotube switches in order to regulate such power management. Claim 1 reads:

1. A microelectronic assembly, comprising:

a power region having a plurality of transistors;

a nanotube structure patterned adjacent to the power region and associated with the power region; and

at least one power source coupled to the nanotube structure to distribute electricity to the power region based on a state of the nanotube structure.

US Patent 7655548 - Nanotube switch for smart power ICs

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655548.html

Smart power grids use software to more effectively distribute energy based on monitored use. This patent from LSI Corporation teaches using nanotube switches to implement a similar smart power system in integrated circuitry. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method, comprising:

coupling a nanotube structure of an integrated circuit to a conductive surface when a command is processed; and

enabling a group of transistors of the integrated circuit based on the coupling the nanotube structure to the conductive surface.

US Patent 7494842 - Programmable nanotube interconnect

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7494842.html

This patent from LSI Corporation discloses using a nanotube interconnect to turn off an IC and save power. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method, comprising:

forming a interconnect layer using a plurality of nanotube structures; and

automatically altering a route of an integrated circuit based on an electrical current applied to at least one of the plurality of nanotube structures in the interconnect layer.

It is notable that Nantero has many earlier patents and publications which would seem to disclose this but which were not cited by the applicant or the patent office. One example is US Patent Application 2005/0280436.