US Patent 7858876 - Graphene photovoltaics

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7858876.html

Graphene has been popularized in the last few years as a way to achieve higher speed electronics in the 21st century. This patent also teaches usefulness of graphene toward the production of solar cells. Claim 1 reads:

1. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

(a) a first contact comprising a first electrically conductive contact material;

(b) a second contact comprising a second electrically conductive material; and

(c) a plurality of spatially separated graphite stacks bridging the first and second contacts, each graphite stack comprising a plurality of vertically stacked, semiconducting graphene sheets;

wherein junctions between the first electrically conductive material and the graphene sheets form Schottky barriers for electrons or holes.

US Patent 7803707 - Fabrication of metal silicide nanowires

http://ip.com/patent/US7803707

Metal silicides are silicon compounds used in the formation of low resistivity ohmic contacts in microelectronics. This patent from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation teaches a fabrication process for growing metal silicide nanowires on ultrathin silicon oxide films which could provide extremely small gate lines for nano-MOSFETs. Claim 1 reads:   

1. A method for producing single-crystal, free-standing transition metal silicide nanowires comprising growing the nanowires on a surface of a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate, wherein the silicon oxide film has a thickness of no more than about 2 nm.

US Patent 7765013 - Nanoscale and microscale wireless neural probe

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7765013.html

Over the coming decades many of the most game changing innovations may rely on new ways to interface electronic devices with the human mind. This latest patent from Wisconsin Alumini Research Foundation teaches a wireless probe to provide stimulation of axons of neural cells and which may lay the groundwork for future computer-brain interfaces. Claim 1 reads:

1. A wirelessly stimulatable probe comprising:

an untethered, dispersible element attachable to tissue structure and substantially less than 100 micrometers in a longest dimension, the dispersible element absorbing electromagnetic radiation to produce an electrical current local to the dispersible element;

energy of the electromagnetic radiation providing the sole source of electrical power for the dispersible element in interacting with the tissue structure.

US Patent 7414437 - Mechanical computer formed from nanoscale pillars

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7414437.html

Nantero has started the ball rolling on nanoscale mechanical computers but others are also trying to develop similar devices. This patent from WARF discloses the formation of dual nanopillars to form electrical switches and connecting the electrical switches to form basic logic and computational structures. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electrical switching element comprising:

at least one first nanoscale pillar extending upward from a substrate between first opposed electrodes to flex between the first electrodes; and

at least one second nanoscale pillar extending upward from the substrate between second opposed electrodes, the second nanoscale pillar coupled to the first nanoscale pillar to flex with the first nanoscale pillar alternately toward and away from alternate second electrodes influenced by flexure of the first nanoscale pillar;

whereby flexure of the first nanoscale pillar promotes a charge transfer between the second opposed electrodes via the second nanoscale pillar.