3D Nanochannel Interleaved Devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023390763-A1
Application number	US-202318234004-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Dec 5, 2019
Publication date	Dec 7, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

3D nanochannel interleaved devices for molecular manipulation are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a device includes: forming a pattern on a substrate of alternating mandrels and spacers alongside the mandrels; selectively removing the mandrels from a front portion of the pattern forming gaps between the spacers; selectively removing the spacers from a back portion of the pattern forming gaps between the mandrels; filling i) the gaps between the spacers with a conductor to form first electrodes and ii) the gaps between the mandrels with the conductor to form second electrodes; and etching the mandrels and the spacers in a central portion of the pattern to form a channel (e.g., a nanochannel) between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are offset from one another across the channel, i.e., interleaved. A device formed by the method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of forming a device for molecular manipulation, the method comprising:
forming a pattern on a substrate of alternating mandrels and spacers alongside the mandrels; selectively removing the mandrels from a front portion of the pattern forming gaps between the spacers; selectively removing the spacers from a back portion of the pattern forming gaps between the mandrels; filling i) the gaps between the spacers with a conductor to form first electrodes and ii) the gaps between the mandrels with the conductor to form second electrodes; and etching the mandrels and the spacers in a central portion of the pattern to form a channel between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are offset from one another across the channel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mandrels comprise an oxide material.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the oxide material comprises undoped silicon oxide (SiOx).

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacers comprise a nitride material.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the nitride material is selected from the group consisting of: nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), and combinations thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductor is selected from the group consisting of: copper (Cu), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), ruthenium (Ru), and combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming first mandrels on the substrate; forming the spacers alongside the first mandrels; and filling spaces between the spacers alongside adjacent first mandrels with a mandrel material to form second mandrels in the spaces.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a mask covering the back portion and the central portion of the pattern; and selectively removing the mandrels from the front portion of the pattern using the mask.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the mask comprises amorphous carbon.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
filling the gaps between the spacers with a sacrificial material prior to selectively removing the spacers from the back portion of the pattern.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the sacrificial material is selected from the group consisting of: amorphous silicon, poly-silicon, and combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a channel spacer over the central portion of the pattern; filling the gaps between the spacers and the gaps between the mandrels with the conductor; selectively removing the channel spacer forming a trench in the conductor over the central portion of the pattern; and etching the mandrels and the spacers in the central portion of the pattern through the trench to form the channel.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the conductor overfills the gaps between the spacers and the gaps between the mandrels, and wherein the method further comprises:
planarizing the conductor to a top of the channel spacer such that the channel spacer separates the conductor over the front portion of the pattern from the conductor over the back portion of the pattern.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
recessing the conductor down to the spacers in the front portion of the pattern and down to the mandrels in the back portion of the pattern.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the channel spacer comprises amorphous carbon.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mandrels have a width of from about 5 nm to about nm and ranges therebetween, and a pitch of from about 10 nm to about 20 nm.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacers have a width of from about 5 nm to about 10 nm.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a nanochannel having a width of from about 2 nm to about 10 nm.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a fluidic passage.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are interleaved rather than being directly opposite one another across the channel.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Clevenger Lawrence A
• Cheng Kangguo
• Canaperi Donald
• Fetterolf Shawn Peter

Classifications

• B01L3/502707 Primary

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title

• B82B1/001

  Devices without movable or flexible elements · CPC title

• B82B3/0019

  without movable or flexible elements · CPC title

• B01L3/502715

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• B01L2300/12

  Specific details about materials · CPC title