Biological path to nanoelectronics devices

Abstract

The biology and semiconductor technology have progressed independently. There was a large distance between them and a substantial interdisciplinary research area was left untouched. Recently, this situation is changing. Some researchers are stimulating semiconductor technology to introduce bio-molecules into the nano-fabrication process. We proposed a new process for fabricating functional nano-structure on a solid surface using protein supramolecules, which is named “Bio Nano Process” (BNP). We employed a cage-shaped protein, apoferritin and synthesized several kinds of nanoparticles (NP) in the apoferritin cavity. A two-dimensional array of them was made on the silicon wafer and this array was heat treated or UV/ozone treated. These processes produced a two-dimensional inorganic NP array on the silicon surface. The size of NP is small enough as quantum dots and the floating nanodots memory using this NP array is now under development. We also proposed another process using the obtained nanodot array as the nanometric etching mask. This was realized by the neutral beam etching and 7nm Si nano columns with high aspect ratio were fabricated. These experimental results demonstrated that the BNP can fabricate the inorganic nanostructure using protein supramolecules and the BNP opened up a biological path to nanoelectronics devices.