title: Wafer-scale thin encapsulated two-dimensional nanochannels and its application toward visualization of single molecules.
abstract: We present a new and simple approach to fabricate wafer-scale, thin encapsulated, two-dimensional nanochannels by using conventional surface-micromachining technology and thin-film evaporation. The key steps to the realization of two-dimensional nanochannels are a fine etching of a sacrificial layer to create underetching spaces at the nanometer regime, and an accurate thin-film evaporation for encapsulation. Well-defined cross-sectional, encapsulated nanochannel arrays with dimensions as small as 20 nm in both width and height have been realized at the wafer-scale. The fabricated nanochannels with a channel length of 10mm have been used as a suitable fluidic platform for confining a solution containing nanomolar concentrations of Alexa fluorescent molecules. Initial results toward visualization of single Alexa molecules in the confined solution are reported.
authors: Transducers Science and Technology Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands. hoanghanhhut@yahoo.com
authors: H T
authors: HT
authors: Hoang
authors: H D
authors: HD
authors: Tong
authors: I M
authors: IM
authors: Segers-Nolten
authors: N R
authors: NR
authors: Tas
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Subramaniam
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Elwenspoek
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis*; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000032:analysis*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000379:methods*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: C417561:Alexa 488 hydrazide; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006834:Hydrazines