Microfabrication of nanopore devices without nanolithography

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel microfabrication method for engineered nanopore devices that does not require nanolithography. Nanopores are compositionally constructed at the intersection of two orthogonal sacrificial nanometer gap spacers. Arrays of rectangular nanopores 10 times 12 nm bounded by polycrystalline silicon and silicon nitride walls were fabricated on silicon nitride membranes. The nanopore electrical conductivity was tested in a 1 M KCl aqueous solution with 0.25 muM of 5 nm Au nanoparticles. Discrete current spikes about 120 mus wide have been recorded characteristic of nanoparticle translocation events.