NANOPORE WITH RESONANT TUNNELING ELECTRODES

• US 20070138132A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Barth, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 7,250,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/56
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48721 Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for making an apparatus for sensing and/or characterizing a biopolymer translocating a nanopore. The apparatus of the present invention provides a first electrode, a first insulator, a second electrode, a optional insulator, a voltage source for applying a time varying potential difference between the electrodes, and a means of measuring the resulting current between the two electrodes. A method for making the apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A method of fabricating a nanopore structure with nanopore for sensing a portion of a nanoscale moiety, comprising:

(a) providing a first electrode having a portion of a nanopore there through, the portion of the nanopore defining an electrode edge;

(b) depositing an insulator on the first electrode adjacent to the nanopore, the insulator having a portion of the nanopore there through and defining an insulator edge, the insulator edge overhanging the first electrode edge; and

(c) depositing a second electrode on the insulator adjacent to the nanopore, the second electrode having a portion of the nanopore there through and defining the second electrode edge, the second electrode edge overhanging the insulator edge to define the nanopore structure.

23. A method of fabricating a nanopore structure as recited in claim 22, wherein at least one deposition step is performed by angled line of sight deposition.

24. A method of fabricating a nanopore structure as recited in claim 22, wherein each step is performed by angled line of sight deposition.

25. (canceled)

26. A method of making a layered nanopore structure, comprising:

(a) providing a substrate with a surface and a portion of a nanopore there through;

(b) tilting the substrate surface to an angle defined between horizontal and the substrate surface;

(c) rotating the substrate at the tilted angle;

(d) depositing a second electrode on the substrate surface adjacent to the nanopore to define a second electrode edge;

(e) tilting the substrate surface to an angle defined between the horizontal and the substrate surface;

(f) rotating the substrate and second electrode at the tilted angle;

(g) depositing a first insulator on the second electrode adjacent to the nanopore to define a first insulator edge;

(h) tilting the substrate surface at an angle defined between horizontal and the substrate surface;

(i) rotating the substrate at the tilted angle;

(j) depositing a first electrode on the substrate surface adjacent to the nanopore to define a first electrode edge wherein the first electrode edge, the first insulator edge and the second electrode edges define a layered nanopore structure.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the angle defined in step (b) is smaller than the angle defined in step (e).

28. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the angle defined in step (e) is smaller than the angle defined in step (h).

29. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the angle defined in step (b) is 45 degrees.

30. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the angle defined in step (e) is 35 degrees.

31. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the angled defined in step (h) is 25 degrees.

32. A method of making a layered nanopore structure, comprising:

(a) etching a silicon substrate to form a window of silicon nitride on silicon dioxide;

(b) etching the silicon nitride to form a window of silicon dioxide;

(c) forming a nanopore using focused ion beam drilling followed by argon ion beam sculpting;

(d) depositing a first electrode on the substrate adjacent to the nanopore and defining the first electrode by photolithography;

(e) depositing a first insulator on the first electrode adjacent to the nanopore and defining the first insulator layer by photolithography;

(f) depositing a second electrode on the first insulator adjacent to the nanopore and defining the second electrode by photolithography;

(g) depositing an optional insulator on the second electrode adjacent to the nanopore and defining the optional insulator by photolithography;

(h) depositing an aluminum interconnect layer on the optional insulator and defining the aluminum interconnect layer by photolithography; and

(i) depositing an insulator substrate on the aluminum interconnect layer and defining the insulator substrate layer by photolithography.