FABRICATION OF A NANOCHANNEL FOR DNA SEQUENCING USING ELECTRICAL PLATING TO ACHIEVE TUNNELING ELECTRODE GAP

• US 20180217083A1
• Filed: 02/01/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: KUO, David S., YANG, Xiaomin, XIAO, ShuaiGang, LEE, Kim Yang, WAGO, Koichi, CHANG, Thomas Young
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00547 Etching processes not provided for in groups B81C1/00531 - B81C1/00539
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0132 Dry etching, i.e. plasma etching, barrel etching, reactive ion etching [RIE], sputter etching or ion milling
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6809 Methods for determination or identification of nucleic acids involving differential detection
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/631 being a biochannel or pore
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3278 involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanogaps or nanoparticles nanopores G01N33/48721; magnetic beads G01N27/745
• 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

A DNA sequencing device, and related methods, include a nanopore or nanochannel structure, and a nanoelectrode. The nanoelectrode includes electrode members having free ends exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel structure, an electrode gap defined between of the free ends, and plated portions formed on the free ends to provide a reduced sized for the electrode gap.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a nanoelectrode DNA sequencing device, comprising:

forming a nanopore or nanochannel structure;

forming a nanoelectrode having an electrode gap exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel;

plating at least portions of the nanoelectrode with a plating material to reduce a size of the electrode gap.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced size of the electrode gap is in the range of about 0.3 nm to about 2 nm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanochannel and the plating material comprise a metallic material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portions of the nanoelectrode that are plated include end surfaces of the nanoelectrode that are exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the portions of the nanoelectrode that are plated include top surfaces of the nanoelectrode arranged perpendicular to the end surfaces.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

lithography patterning the nanochannel in a resistor layer and an insulator substrate; and

forming the nanoelectrode includes forming a tunneling electrode in the nanochannel.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

forming a pair of contact pad openings for DNA channeling by lithography and etching into the insulator substrate;

filling the contact pad openings with contact pad material to form contact pads;

forming the nanopore or nanochannel structure includes lithography patterning a DNA channel between the contact pads;

depositing an insulator material over the contact pads and DNA channel;

forming the nanopore or nanochannel structure with the electrode gap exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel; and

depositing a sealing layer over the nanopore or nanochannel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the etching into the insulator substrate comprises reactive ion etching (RIE).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the lithography patterning includes at least one of deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography, 193 nm lithography, e-beam lithography, and nano-imprint lithography (NIL).

10. The method of claim 6, wherein forming the tunneling electrode in the nanochannel includes a Chromium (Cr) liftoff process followed by stripping a resistive layer.

11. A DNA sequencing device, comprising:

a nanopore or nanochannel structure;

a nanoelectrode comprising;

electrode members having free ends exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel structure;

an electrode gap defined between of the free ends;

plated portions formed on the free ends to provide a reduced sized for the electrode gap.

12. The DNA sequencing device of claim 11, wherein the nanopore or nanochannel structure is formed in an insulator substrate, the insulator substrate comprising SiO₂ or glass.

13. The DNA sequencing device of claim 11, wherein the nanopore or nanochannel structure has a width in the range of about 10 nm to about 20 nm.

14. The DNA sequencing device of claim 11, wherein the electrode gap has a width in a range of about 0.3 nm to about 2.0 nm.

15. The DNA sequencing device of claim 11, further comprising:

electrode contacts electrically connected to the nanoelectrode; and

a controller electrically connected to the electrode contacts and operable to detect an electronic signal measured between the electrode members.

16. The DNA sequencing device of claim 11, further comprising an energy source operable to draw a DNA strand through the nanopore or nanochannel.

17. A method of DNA sequencing, comprising:

providing a DNA sequencing device having a nanopore or nanochannel structure, and a nanoelectrode, the nanoelectrode having first and second electrode members with free ends exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel structure, an electrode gap defined between of the free ends, and plated portions formed on the free ends to provide a reduced size for the electrode gap;

drawing a DNA strand through the nanopore or nanochannel and the electrode gap;

detecting, with the nanoelectrode, electronic signals associated with separate nucleotides of the DNA strand;

determining an order of the nucleotides based on the detected electronic signals.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising further reducing the size of the electrode gap with additional plating.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the plated portions comprise a different material from the first and second electrode members.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the DNA sequencing device further comprises a controller operable to conduct the determining of the order of the nucleotides.