Patent ID: 9656293
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: B01D,B05D,C25F,G01N

Claim:
1. A method for forming a nanopore in a membrane comprising: exposing two opposing surfaces of a membrane to an electrically conducting liquid environment; applying a nanopore nucleation voltage pulse, having a first nucleation pulse amplitude, between the two membrane surfaces, through the liquid environment, the nanopore nucleation voltage pulse having a pulse duration; after applying the nanopore nucleation voltage pulse, measuring the electrical conductance of the membrane and comparing the measured electrical conductance to a first prespecified electrical conductance; applying at least one additional nanopore nucleation voltage pulse between the two membrane surfaces, through the liquid environment, each additional nanopore nucleation voltage pulse being applied if the measured electrical conductance is no greater than the first prespecified electrical conductance; and applying at least one nanopore diameter tuning voltage pulse, having a tuning pulse voltage amplitude, between the two membrane surfaces, through the liquid environment, each nanopore diameter tuning voltage pulse being applied if the measured electrical conductance is greater than the first prespecified electrical conductance and no greater than a second prespecified electrical conductance, each nanopore diameter tuning voltage pulse having a pulse duration.