Multi-layered heterostructure nanopore sensor for single biomolecule detection

Abstract

Nanopores have shown to be a promising tool for fast and real-time sequencing of DNA. Due to the chemical and mechanical robustness and design flexibility, two-dimensional (2D) solid-state nanopore (SSNP) sensors are a contesting candidate for next-generation sequencing devices. However, the major hindrance in detecting DNA nucleotides via 2D SSNPs lies in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to thermal noise and the lack of statistically significant current signals. In this regard, we propose a stacked 2D SSNP heterostructure to naturally quench the conformational fluctuations of the translocating biomolecule while obtaining multiple independent electronic in-plane current signals.