Ultra-Sensitive Electrometers for Nano-Fluidics

纳米流体学是一个化学、生物和工程领域都在发挥作用的很有前途的领域。顾名思义，纳米流体包括用于输送流体的纳米级机械。通过缩小通道的尺寸，只需要极少量的液体来填充它们，这是处理昂贵的除草剂时的一个重要质量。规模化的通道还实现了诸如芯片上的实验室等概念，其中纳米通道将反应物和分析物输送到多个微升大小的反应室，以便可以在非常小的封装中快速进行一些测试。电子部分将提供放置在农道的一面墙上的超灵敏静电计。静电计感应电荷，因此可以用来检测纳米通道壁上或靠近壁面的流体中的电荷变化。电计的表面可以被功能化，以提供反应产物的特定结合，然后静电计信号将代表结合产物的密度。其目标是在通道中实现单离子检测。这一建议的智能优点是它解决了缺乏合适的电换能元件的问题。今天所做的大多数流体实验使用的是基于荧光的光学传导法。电转换将使标准电子设备的接口变得简单，从而降低系统尺寸和成本。单电子晶体管静电计是已知最灵敏的，但尚未应用于纳米流体。这项拟议的研究在许多方面都具有变革性。它将开发一种应该是可扩展和可制造的工艺，并将CMP处理扩展到纳米尺度。室温电测仪与纳米流体通道的集成将使许多应用成为可能，甚至可能是DNA的快速测序。一个主要特点是这些设备很容易与CMOS集成。这将在纳米电子学和CMOS基础设施的巨大基础之间建立一座极好的桥梁。拟议的项目将在科学和教育方面产生更广泛的影响。科学影响将来自于开发硅基QCA的理论和器件的研究。该项目还将对印第安纳州南本德地区的中学生进行重大推广。南本德公立学校的学生人数多样，大量学生来自科学和技术领域的代表性较低的群体。计划中的外展计划将通过教师和研究生的课堂活动和实地考察将学生带到巴黎圣母院的实验室，以面向中学生。中学龄儿童是一个很好的外展群体，因为他们足够先进，可以理解科学，但仍然在自己的兴趣领域做出选择。通过让中学生在课堂和实验室中亲身体验科学，这项推广活动将使他们受益。

AbstractNanofluidics is a promising area where the fields of Chemistry, Biology, andEngineering all play a role. As the name implies, nanofluidics involves nano-scalechannels used to transport fluids. By scaling down the size of the channels only a tinyamount of fluid is required to fill them, an important quality when dealing with expensivereagents. Scaled channels also enable concepts such as ?Lab on a Chip?, where nanochannels transport reactants and analytes to a number of pico-liter sized reactionchambers so that a number of tests can be carried out quickly in a very small package.This proposal presents a methodology to interface electronics to nanofluidics. Theelectronics portion will provide ultra-sensitive electrometers placed in one wall of thenanochannel. An electrometer senses charge, so it can be used to detect charge change atthe wall of the nanochannel or in the fluid near the wall. The surface of the electrometercould be functionalized to provide specific binding of reaction products, and theelectrometer signal would then represent the density of the bound product. The goal is toachieve single ion detection in the channel.The intellectual merit of this proposal is that it addresses the lack of a suitableelectrical transducing element. Most fluidic experiments done today use opticaltransduction based on fluorescence. Electrical transduction would enable a simpleinterface to standard electronics, leading to reduction in system size and cost. Singleelectrontransistor electrometers are the most sensitive known, but have yet to be appliedto nanofluidics. The proposed research is transformative in a number of ways. It willdevelop a process that should be scalable and manufacturable, and it will extend CMPprocessing into nanoscale dimensions. The integration of room temperature electrometerswith nanofluidic channels will enable a number of applications, perhaps even the rapidsequencing of DNA. A key feature is the easy integration of these devices with CMOSwill form an excellent bridge between nanoelectronics and the enormous base of CMOSinfrastructure.The broader impact of the proposed project will be in both scientific and educationalimpact. The scientific impact will come from the research developing the theory anddevices for silicon-based QCA. This project will also make a significant outreach tomiddle school students in the South Bend, Indiana area. South Bend public schools havea diverse student population with a large number of students from groupsunderrepresented in the areas of science and technology. The outreach program proposedwill target middle school students through classroom activities involving faculty andgraduate students, and field trips to bring students to the Notre Dame labs. Middle schoolaged children are an excellent group for outreach since they are advanced enough tounderstand science, but are still making choices about their areas of interests. Theoutreach will benefit the middle schoolers by giving them a first-hand taste of science inboth the classroom and lab.