# US 10,766,762 B2 · Controlled fabrication of nanopores in nanometric solid state materials

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- Number: US 10,766,762 B2
- Document ID: US10766762B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/435,595
- Filed: 2017-02-17
- Published: 2017-06-08
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-15
- Assignees: President and Fellows of Harvard College
- Applicants: President and Fellows of Harvard College
- Inventors: Christopher John Russo; Jene A. Golovchenko; Daniel Branton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766762B2

## CPC

- B81B 1/002: {Holes characterised by their shape, in either longitudinal or sectional plane}
- B32B 3/266: {characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12}
- B81C 1/00087: {Holes}
- G01N 33/48721: {Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores (Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68)}
- B81B 2201/0214: Biosensors; Chemical sensors
- B81B 2203/0127: Diaphragms, i.e. structures separating two media that can control the passage from one medium to another; Membranes, i.e. diaphragms with filtering function
- B81B 2207/056: of static structures
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

There is provided a nanometric structure that includes a self-supporting nanometric material having a thickness of no more than about 5 nm. A plurality of nanopores is provided in the nanometric material, and the nanopore plurality has a density of at least about 1000 nanopores/cm2. Each nanopore in the plurality of nanopores has a diameter that is no greater than about 10 nm. The plurality of nanopores is monodisperse in diameter with a variation of about ±30%. In a further nanometric structure provided herein there is included a self-supporting nanometric material having a thickness of no more than about 5 nm. A plurality of nanopores in the nanometric material includes at least about 50 nanopores. Each nanopore in the plurality of nanopores has a diameter that is no greater than about 10 nm. The plurality of nanopores is monodisperse in diameter with a variation of about ±30%.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nanometric structure comprising:
a self-supporting nanometric material selected from the group consisting of graphene, few-layer graphene, fluorographene, graphane, graphene oxide, said nanometric material having a hulk crystaline lattice disposed interior to lateral edges of the nanometric material, said bulk crystalline lattice including a plurality of nanopore nucleation sites, each nanopore nucleation site consisting of a defect in atomic bonds of no more than five atoms of the bulk crystalline lattice, said nanometric material having a thickness no greater than about 5 nm;
a plurality of nanopores present in the nanometric material, with a nanopore density of at least about 1000 nanopores/cm2, each nanopore in the plurality of nanopores disposed at one of said nanopore nucleation sites in said bulk crystalline lattice, with nanopores sited at no location of the hulk crystalline lattice other than said nanopore nucleation sites, each nanopore extending in the bulk crystalline lattice from said one of the nanopore nucleation sites to a diameter no greater than about 10 nm, said plurality of nanopores having a distribution in diameter of no more than about ±30%; and
wherein the bulk crystalline lattice between nanopores is an undamaged lattice, without atomic diffusion around edges of nanopores in the plurality of nanopores.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nanometric structure of claim 1 wherein the nanometric material has a thickness of no greater than about 3 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The nanometric structure of claim 1 wherein each nanopore has a diameter no greater than about 4 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The nanometric structure of claim 1 further comprising a support frame including an aperture across which the nanometric material is extended and self-supporting.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The nanometric structure of claim 4 wherein the support frame includes a frame membrane having an aperture across which the nanometric material is extended and self-supporting.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The nanometric structure of claim 5 wherein the frame membrane comprises a silicon nitride membrane having an aperture across which a nanometric material comprising a graphene membrane is extended and self-supporting.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The nanometric structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of nanopores is arranged as an ordered array of nanopores.