High-Bandwidth Solid-State Nanopore Sensors

Abstract

Nanopores are attractive electrochemical sensors for their single-molecule sensitivity and simple experimental setup. Many of the electronic systems used for nanopore measurements are inherited from electrophysiology applications, and as a result they are primarily optimized for current levels of 50pA or less, at bandwidths below 10kHz. However, state-of-the-art solid-state nanopore sensors now commonly produce signals in the nanoampere range, for which common patch clamp amplifiers are no longer ideal. We present a new experimental platform which integrates a custom CMOS preamplifier with nanopores in thin silicon nitride membranes. The low parasitic capacitance of the integrated platform reduces noise at high frequencies, allowing nanopore measurements at finer temporal resolution than supported by popular instruments. We demonstrate the viability of this system with high-bandwidth electrical recordings of the passage of short DNA molecules through nanopores. This new platform will improve the signal-to-noise ratios of nanopore sensors, enabling further single-molecule studies of fast biophysical processes.