Insulated nanogap devices and methods of use thereof
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsFrancesco Stellacci, J Robert Barsotti, Jr., Zhang Huijuan, John Thong
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method to eliminate undesired parallel conductive paths of nanogap devices for aqueous sensing. The method involves the electrical insulation of an electrode pair, except for the nanogap region wherein electrical response is measured. The magnitude of undesired ionic current in a measurement is reduced by two orders of magnitude. The process to accomplish the present invention is self-aligned and avoids fabrication complexity. The invention has a great potential in nanogap device applications.
Claims14
A process for preparing a nanogap device for measuring changes in electrical properties or electrical responses of a sub-micron sized material, said device comprising:
- (a) a substrate;
- and
- (b) at least one conducting electrode pair separated by a nanogap positioned on or within said substrate, wherein
- i. a first portion of said conducting electrode pair comprises an insulator coating;
- and
- ii. a second portion of said conducting electrode pair proximal to said nanogap does not comprise an insulator coating,
- said process comprising:
- a. positioning a conducting material on a substrate wherein said material has a longitudinal axis which exceeds that of its horizontal axis, wherein said conducting material comprises a second portion of said material along its longitudinal axis, which is thinner than a first portion of said material along its longitudinal axis;
- b. applying an insulator coating to said conducting material;
- and
- c. applying a voltage to said conducting material;
- wherein application of said voltage results in forming a gap in said second portion and at least partial removal of said insulator coating of said second portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.