DNA Metallization And Its Electric Characteristic Research

The combination of biology and micro/nano fabrication technology is becoming a new trend, DNA molecules have many characteristics, such as good thermal stability, linear geometry structure and mechanical rigidity, which can be used as ideal templates for nanowire fabrication. The conductivity of intrinsic DNA is quite weak, but by utilizing metallization technology, DNA can make up conductive metal nanowires and nanoclusters for electric characteristic testing. Therefore, metallized DNA molecules can be used to build up electronic circuits and used as the sequential metal deposition templates, which has a wide application of the construction of bio-nano devices. With the development of DNA molecule self-recognition and DNA computer program controlling self-assembly techniques, it's very hopeful in the construction of DNA-nano devices.Basing on the combination of biology and micro/nano fabrication technology and the precondition of substrate selection, we choose silicon substrate to replace the common mica in this project, which provides a possibility of sequential observation and testing. Then we carry out DNA elongation alignment manipulation, DNA metallization and electric characteristic testing of metallized DNA. We carry out a series of elongation experiments including perpendicular elongation, centrifugal elongation and Parafilm parallel elongation, then we make improvements of Parafilm elongation via a declined angle and achieve good elongation results of DNA on silicon substrate. Next step, we carry out DNA-Ag and DNA-Cu metallization. After introduction of IA group element compounds, we fabricate quite continuous and uniform metal nanowires. Finally, with the combination of micro fabrication processes, based on the realization of small-gap metal electrodes, we bind the elongated DNA molecules between two electrodes and use Agilent equipment to test its electric characteristic for metallized DNA. The result shows that metallized DNA molecules's electric characteristic is obviously improved compared with the DNA before metallization, and with the increase of voltage , the output current is growing more rapidly and can even up to one order.