NANOSCALE: An Electronic Gain Cell for Monitoring Charge on Molecular Chains

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

9986535 Sandip Tiwari This proposal outlines a method for electrostatic coupling of the charge on macro-molecular chains (e.g., nucleic acids and polypeptides) to the flow of electrons from source to drain of a gated metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and proposes to explore and demonstrate the method's ability to determine size, charge, and base composition by using the gain of the transistor. Two different geometries are proposed: the first, a front fluid flow channel device, with a flow channel 5-20 nm by 1-10 nm in cross-section and placed in between the gate and the electron channel of the transistor made on silicon, allows single-electron sensitivity and operates with molecular spe-cies that are sub-10 nm in diameter when elongated. The second, a back fluid flow channel device, with a flow chan-nel that is 5 nm (and larger) by 40-400 nm in cross-section and placed underneath a thin-silicon channel transistor, allows for sensitive measurements for molecules that are larger in size.