Patent ID: 7678562

Claim:
A process to fabricate nanopores and micropores, comprising the steps of: providing an integral substrate member having a thickness and first and second opposing surfaces; forming at least one first V-shaped channel lengthwise in a first direction in said first surface; and forming at least one second V-shaped channel lengthwise in a second direction in said second surface, said second direction being disposed at an angle relative to said first direction, wherein said first channel and said second channel extend inwardly from said first and second surfaces and intersect at a point, said point defining a pore extending through said substrate member from said first surface to said second surface; placing a first crystal into said first channel adjacent said pore; placing a second crystal into said second channel adjacent said pore; applying a force to urge said first and second crystals towards one another to maintain their position relative to one another; placing an uncured liquid polymer material into said first and second channels adjacent said first and second crystals; curing said polymer material to provide a plurality of polymer molecules, the polymer molecules each having a diameter; and removing said crystals from said pore, said pore now having a size defined by the point of intersection between said first and second crystals and the diameter of one of said plurality of polymer molecules.