A four terminal non-volatile transistor device. A non-volatile transistor
device includes a source region and a drain region of a first
semiconductor type of material and each in electrical communication with
a respective terminal. A channel region of a second semiconductor type of
material is disposed between the source and drain region. A floating gate
structure is made of at least one of semiconductive or conductive
material and is disposed over the channel region. A control gate is made
of at least one of semiconductive or conductive material and is in
electrical communication with a respective terminal. An
electromechanically-deflectable nanotube switching element is in
electrical communication with one of the floating gate structure and the
control gate structure, and is positioned to be electromechanically
deflectable into contact with the other of the floating gate structure
and the control gate structure. When the nanotube switching element is in
communication with both the control gate and the floating gate, the
control gate may be used to modulate the conductivity of the channel
region. The nanotube switching element may be formed from a porous fabric
of a monolayer of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Under certain
embodiments, the nanotube article is suspended vertically in relation to
the horizontal substrate. Under certain embodiments, a release gate and
release node are positioned in spaced relation to the nanotube switching
element, and, in response to a signal on the release node, the release
gate electromechanically deflects the nanotube switching element out of
contact with the one of the control gate and floating gate. Under certain
embodiments, the contact between the nanotube switching element and the
one of the control gate and floating gate is a non-volatile state. Under
certain embodiments, the device occupies an area of 8F.sup.2.