Electrochemical method for attaching molecular and biomolecular structures to semiconductor microstructures and nanostructures

US7416911B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · US

Inventors

• James R. Heath · South Pasadena, US
• Yuri Bunimovich · Williamsville, US
• Guanglu Ge · Pasadena, US
• Kristen Beverly · Pasadena, US
• John Nagarah · Los Angeles, US
• Michael L. Roukes · Pasadena, US
• Peter Willis · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 23, 2004
• Grant date: Aug 26, 2008
• Expiry date: Oct 12, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/958
• WIPO field: Micro-structural and nano-technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method by which silicon nanostructures may be selectively coated with molecules or biomolecules using an electrochemical process. This chemical process may be employed as a method for coating many different nanostructures within a circuit, each with a different molecular or biomolecular material. The density of devices within a circuit of devices that can be coated with different molecules is limited only by the ability to electronically address each device separately. This invention has applications toward the fabrication of molecular electronic circuitry and toward the fabrication of nanoelectronic molecular sensor arrays.