Patent ID: 8110410
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: B82Y,G01N,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for producing a nanofluidic field effect transistor, said method comprising: bifurcating a reservoir into two parts with a membrane disposed between the two parts, said membrane comprising three layers: producing a nanochannel opening through the membrane; filling the reservoir by dispensing an ionic solution through the nanochannel opening to produce a surface-charge-modulated ionic channel, wherein the modulated surface charge is due to different surface properties of the two electrically insulating layers and the electrically conductive gate; adding source and drain electrodes; forming an ionic buffer in the nanochannel, causing counter-ions near a charged surface to form an electrical double layer; applying a bias voltage between the source and drain electrodes and a voltage on the electrically conductive gate layer in the membrane to turn on an ionic current and gating the transportation of ions through the nanochannel; and measuring ionic current through the nanochannel opening, said nanochannel opening having a diameter smaller than twice a thickness of the electrical double layer, wherein an entirety of the nanochannel is patterned with negative and positive counter-ions.