Nanofluidic device with silicon nitride membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022016628-A1
Application number	US-202016933597-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2020
Priority date	Jul 20, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide nanopore devices, such as nanopore sensors and/or other nanofluidic devices. In one or more embodiments, a nanopore device contains a substrate, an optional lower protective oxide layer disposed on the substrate, a membrane disposed on the lower protective oxide layer, and an optional upper protective oxide layer disposed on the membrane. The membrane has a pore and contains silicon nitride. The silicon nitride has a nitrogen to silicon ratio of about 0.98 to about 1.02 and the membrane has an intrinsic stress value of about −1,000 MPa to about 1,000 MPa. The nanopore device also contains a channel extending through at least the substrate, the lower protective oxide layer, the membrane, the upper protective oxide layer, and the upper protective silicon nitride layer.

First claim

1 . A nanopore device, comprising:
a substrate; a membrane disposed above the substrate, wherein:
the membrane comprises silicon nitride and contains a pore;
the silicon nitride has a nitrogen to silicon ratio of about 0.98 to about 1.02; and
the membrane has an intrinsic stress value of about −1,000 MPa to about 1,000 MPa; and
a channel containing the pore and extending through at least the substrate.

2 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has an intrinsic stress value of about −500 MPa to about 500 MPa.

3 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a refractive index of about 2.1 to about 2.5.

4 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises hydrogen at a concentration of about 1×10 17 atoms/cm 3 to less than 1×10 20 atoms/cm 3 .

5 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises oxygen at a concentration of about 1×10 18 atoms/cm 3 to less than 2×10 20 atoms/cm 3 .

6 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , further comprising a lower protective oxide layer disposed between and in contact with the substrate and the membrane.

7 . The nanopore device of claim 6 , further comprising an upper protective oxide layer disposed on the membrane, wherein the membrane is disposed between and in contact with the upper and lower protective oxide layers.

8 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a thickness of about 0.001 μm to less than 0.1 μm.

9 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the pore has a diameter of about 1 nm to less than 100 nm.

10 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises about 0.1 atomic percent (at %) to about 10 at % of elemental silicon.

11 . The nanopore device of claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises an upper portion and a lower portion which are separated by the pore, and wherein the core is at least substantially coaxial with the upper portion, the lower portion, or both.

12 . A nanopore device, comprising:
a substrate; a lower protective oxide layer disposed on the substrate; a membrane disposed on the lower protective oxide layer, wherein the membrane comprises silicon nitride and contains a pore, and wherein:
the silicon nitride has a nitrogen to silicon ratio of about 0.95 to about 1.05;
the membrane comprises hydrogen at a concentration of about 1×10 17 atoms/cm 3 to less than 1×10 20 atoms/cm 3 ;
the membrane has a thickness of about 0.001 μm to less than 0.1 μm; and
the pore has a diameter of about 1 nm to less than 100 nm; and
a channel containing the pore and extending through at least the substrate and the lower protective oxide layer.

13 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the membrane has an intrinsic stress value of about −500 MPa to about 500 MPa.

14 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the membrane has a refractive index of about 2.1 to about 2.5.

15 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the membrane comprises oxygen at a concentration of about 1×10 18 atoms/cm 3 to less than 2×10 20 atoms/cm 3 .

16 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the silicon nitride has a nitrogen to silicon ratio of about 0.98 to about 1.02.

17 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the membrane has a thickness of about 0.001 μm to less than 0.1 μm.

18 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the pore has a diameter of about 1 nm to less than 100 nm.

19 . The nanopore device of claim 12 , wherein the membrane comprises about 0.1 atomic percent (at %) to about 10 at % of elemental silicon.

20 . A nanopore device, comprising:
a substrate; a lower protective silicon nitride layer disposed on a lower surface of the substrate; a lower protective oxide layer disposed on an upper surface of the substrate; a membrane disposed on the lower protective oxide layer, wherein:
the membrane comprises silicon nitride and contains a pore;
the silicon nitride has a nitrogen to silicon ratio of about 0.95 to about 1.05; and
the membrane comprises hydrogen at a concentration of about 1×10 17 atoms/cm 3 to less than 1×10 20 atoms/cm 3 ;
an upper protective oxide layer disposed on the membrane; an upper protective silicon nitride layer disposed on the upper protective oxide layer; and a channel containing the pore and extending through at least the substrate, the lower protective oxide layer, the upper protective oxide layer, and the upper protective silicon nitride layer.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Smith Ryan Scott
• Quon Roger
• Collins David
• Odlum George
• SREENIVASAN Raghav
• Johnson Joseph R

Classifications

• G01N33/48721 Primary

  Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores (Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68) · CPC title

• B01L2300/12

  Specific details about materials · CPC title

• B01L2300/0896

  Nanoscaled · CPC title

• B82B3/008

  Processes for improving the physical properties of a device · CPC title

• G01N27/40

  Semi-permeable membranes or partitions · CPC title