Nanosensors and related technologies

• US 9,903,862 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Lieber, Charles M., Fang, Ying, Patolsky, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): CROW, ROBERT THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US14/788,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20160033498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6825 Nucleic acid detection involving sensors
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2563/155 Particles of a defined size, e.g. nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/156 Polymorphic or mutational markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4145 specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4146 involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/551 the carrier being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/553 Metal or metal coated
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/225 comprising substituents
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/761 Biomolecules or bio-macromolecules, e.g. proteins, chlorophyl, lipids or enzymes

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to nanotechnology and sub-microelectronic circuitry, as well as associated methods and devices, for example, nanoscale wire devices and methods for use in determining nucleic acids or other analytes suspected to be present in a sample. For example, a nanoscale wire device can be used in some cases to detect single base mismatches within a nucleic acid. In one aspect, dynamical information such as a binding constant, an association rate, and/or a dissociation rate, can be determined between a nucleic acid or other analyte, and a binding partner immobilized relative to a nanoscale wire. In some cases, the nanoscale wire includes a first portion comprising a metal-semiconductor compound, and a second portion that does not include a metal-semiconductor compound. The binding partner, in some embodiments, is immobilized relative to at least the second portion of the nanoscale wire.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a nanoscale wire comprising a first portion comprising a semiconductor material and a metal-semiconductor compound contained within the first portion in a spatial distribution defined by diffusion of atoms from a metal into the semiconductor material, and a second portion having a composition different from the first portion.

2. The article of claim 1, further comprising a reaction entity immobilized to the second portion of the nanoscale wire.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the reaction entity is a nucleic acid.

4. The article of claim 2, wherein the reaction entity is DNA.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the nanoscale wire has a greatest dimension no greater than 100 nm.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire is part of a FET.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the metal-semiconductor compound is a metal silicide.

8. An article, comprising:

a nanoscale wire comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a semiconductor material and a metal-semiconductor compound contained within the first portion in a spatial distribution defined by diffusion of atoms from a metal into the semiconductor material, the first portion having a binding partner immobilized thereto, the second portion being free of the binding partner.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the second portion has a composition different from the first portion.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein the binding partner comprises a nucleic acid.

11. The article of claim 8, wherein the metal-semiconductor compound is a metal silicide.

12. The article of claim 8, wherein the second portion of the nanoscale wire has a greatest dimension no greater than 100 nm.

13. The article of claim 8, wherein the nanoscale wire is part of a FET.

14. The article of claim 8, wherein the binding partner is DNA.