Nanowire nanocomputer as a finite-state machine

Significance Fundamental limits soon may end the decades-long trend in microelectronic computer circuit miniaturization that has led to much technological and economic progress. Nanoelectronic circuits using new materials, devices, and/or fabrication methods face formidable challenges to provide alternatives for future microelectronics. A key advance toward overcoming these hurdles is achieved in this work through the construction of a nanoelectronic finite-state machine (nanoFSM) computer using “bottom–up” methods. The nanoFSM integrates both computing and memory elements, which are organized from individually addressable and functionally identical nanodevices, to perform clocked, multistage logic. Furthermore, the device density is the highest reported to date for any nanoelectronic system. Advances in logic and design in the nanoFSM are scalable and should enable more extensive nanocomputers.