Mixed-scale electronic interfaces

1. A method of programming nanowire-to-conductive element electrical connections, the method comprising:

with a substrate comprising a number of embedded conductive elements that are overlaid with a first layer of nanowires, at least some of the conductive elements electrically coupled to more than one of the nanowires through individual switching junctions created between the first layer of nanowires and a second layer of nanowires overlaying the first layer of nanowires and running substantially perpendicular to the first set of nanowires, each of the switching junctions configured in either a low-conductance state or a high-conductance state, switching a portion of the switching junctions from the low-conductance state to the high-conductance state or the high-conductance state to the low-conductance state so that individual nanowires of the first layer of nanowires are electrically coupled to a different one of the conductive elements of the number of conductive elements using a different one of the switching junctions configured in the high-conductance state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein switching a portion of the switching junctions further comprises applying a state-transition voltage between pairs of adjacent conductive elements of the number of conductive elements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein switching a portion of the switching junctions further comprises consecutively applying a state-transition voltage between pairs of adjacent conductive elements of the number of conductive elements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the switching junctions is configured in the low-conductance state prior to the act of switching a portion of the switching junctions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the switching junctions is configured in the high-conductance state prior to the act of switching a portion of the switching junctions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the switching junctions comprises a nonlinear-tunneling-hysteretic resistor junction.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive elements are arranged along a first direction, and further wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the first nanowires is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the first direction.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to switching a portion of the switching junctions, determining a connectivity map for the first layer of nanowires and the conductive elements.

9. A nanowire structure including a mixed-scale interface, the nanowire structure comprising:

a substrate including a number of microscale or submicroscale conductive elements electrically coupled to circuitry embedded within the substrate;

a first layer of nanowires overlying a first number of the conductive elements, at least some of the nanowires overlying more than one of the conductive elements;

a second layer of nanowires overlying the first layer of nanowires, the nanowires of the second layer of nanowires running perpendicular to the nanowires of the first layer of nanowires and in electrical communication with a second number of the conductive elements;

at least a portion of the first and second number of conductive elements electrically coupled to more than one of the nanowires through individual switching junctions created between the first layer of nanowires and second layer of nanowires, a portion of the switching junctions configured in a high-conductance state and a portion of the switching junctions configured in a low-conductance state, individual nanowires of the first and second layer of nanowires electrically coupled to different conductive elements of the first and second number of microscale or submicroscale conductive elements using a different one of the switching junctions configured in the high-conductance state.

10. The nanowire structure of claim 9 wherein each of the switching junctions comprises a nonlinear-tunneling-hysteretic resistor junction.