Abstract The Cell Matrix: An Architecture for Nanocomputing L. Durbeck and Nicholas J. Macias From 2000 Eighth Foresight Conference on Molecular Technology, November 3-5, 2000 Much effort has been put into the development of atomic-scale switches, and more recently toward the construction of computers from atomic-scale components. A larger goal is the development of an atomic-scale universal assembler, which could construct any electronic circuit, not just a specific CPU. We propose the insertion of a level of indirection into the process of constructing these specific or general builders. Rather than building physically heterogeneous systems that implement various digital circuits, we propose that the builder construct physically homogeneous, undifferentiated hardware that is later, after manufacture, differentiated into various digital circuits. This achieves the immediate goal of achieving specific CPU and memory architectures using atomic-scale switches. At the same time, it achieves the larger goal of being able to construct any digital circuit, using the same fixed manufacturing process. Moreover, this opens the way to implementing fundamentally new types of circuits, including dynamic, massively parallel, self-modifying ones. Additionally, the specific architecture in question is not particularly complex, making it easier to construct than most specific architectures.      We have developed a computing architecture that fits this more attainable manufacturing goal. We have also been developing the extra step introduced into the process, that is, taking undifferentiated hardware and differentiating it efficiently and cheaply into desirable circuitry.      The architecture presented here is physically simpler than a CPU or memory or field-programmable gate array. All system function is represented within the atomic unit of the system, called a cell. This unit is repeated over and over to form a multidimensional matrix of cells. In addition to being general purpose, the architecture is highly scalable, so much so that it appears to provide access to the differentiation and use of trillion trillion switch hardware. This is not possible with an FPGA architecture, because its gate array is configured serially, and serial configuration of trillion trillion switch hardware would take years. This paper describes the cell in detail and describes how networks of cells in a matrix are used to create small circuits. It also describes a sample application of the architecture that makes beneficial use of high switch counts.