Mashed Articles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7417119.html

This patent from SRI International teaches a new way to conduct protein assembly to build complex molecular structures by using programmable charge patterns that can attract molecules in specified arrangements. Although I am generally sceptical of the popularized “nanorobot” version of nanotechnology, the technology covered by this patent has at least some possibility of leading in the direction of some sort of manufacturable nanobiorobot. Claim 1 reads:

1. A device for promoting the bonding of molecules from a medium containing unbound molecules of interest, said device comprising:

an addressable nanoscale array, said nanoscale array being multilayer and on a flexible substrate and wherein a charge pattern is imposable on a first surface of said addressable nanoscale array, such that the charge pattern is predetermined to selectively attract molecules from said medium and whereby, as a consequence of the attraction of the charge pattern, formation of bonds among said molecules of interest is effected.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7416993.html

Nantero has focused most of their patents on nanomechanical switches formed from carbon nanotube fabrics. This patent extends the scope of their nanofabric technology to cover other possible nanowire based patterning. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of making a conductive article on a substrate, comprising:

forming a nanowire fabric on the substrate;

defining the nanowire fabric to have a pattern; and

forming a strapping layer that contacts at least a longitudinally-extending portion of the nanowire fabric.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7416911.html

This patent from CalTech teaches forming a template which is possibly useful for the formation of molecular electronic devices using hydrogenated nanostructured surfaces including Si-H bonds. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for manufacturing molecular probes on semiconductor microstructures or nanostructures, the method comprising:

providing at least one microstructures or nanostructure, the microstructures or nanostructure comprising a surface region;

processing the surface region to form a hydrogenated surface on a portion of the surface region of the microstructure or nanostructure;

forming one or more electro active molecules overlying the surface region of the microstructure or nanostructure, selecting one or more microstructures or nanostructures by applying an electrical voltage from an external source with respect to a reference electrode to the one or more selected microstructures or nanostructures; and

forming one or more reactive sites on a portion of the one or more of the selected microstructures or nanostructures.