Using a field effect device for identifying translocating charge-tagged molecules in a nanopore sequencing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488636-B2
Application number	US-201514746757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2011
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A detector apparatus includes a field-effect transistor configured to undergo a change in amplitude of a source-to-drain current when at least a portion of a charge-tagged molecule translocates through the nanopore. In some implementations, the field-effect transistor is a carbon nanotube field effect transistor and the nanopore is located in a membrane. In other implementations, the field-effect transistor is a carbon nanotube field effect transistor and the nanopore is implemented in the form of a nano-channel in a semiconductor layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detector apparatus comprising:
a field-effect transistor having a planar gate terminal; and
a semiconductor layer comprising a nano-channel with a first portion of the nano-channel abutting a major surface of the planar gate terminal,
wherein:
the nano-channel is configured to transport at least one charge-tagged molecule along a longitudinal axis that traverses the major surface of the planar gate terminal, and
the field-effect transistor is a carbon nanotube field effect transistor configured to undergo a change in amplitude of a source-to-drain current when the at least one charge-tagged molecule traverses the major surface of the planar gate terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-channel has a circular cross-section and is operative as a nanopore having a diameter selected to provide a separation distance not exceeding 2 nm between the at least one charge-tagged molecule and the major surface of the planar gate terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the diameter does not exceed 3 nm.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a graphene nanoribbon located on a major surface of the semiconductor layer with a portion of the graphene nanoribbon covering an exposed portion of the nano-channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the graphene nanoribbon is configured as a current detector to detect the at least one charge-tagged molecule when the at least one charge-tagged molecule traverses the major surface of the planar gate terminal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein configuring the graphene nanoribbon as the current detector comprises configuring the graphene nanoribbon to measure a sense current flowing through at least a portion of the graphene nanoribbon.

Assignees

• California Inst Of Techn

Inventors

• Jaramillo-Botero Andres
• Goddard Iii William A

Classifications

• C12Q1/6869

  Methods for sequencing · CPC title

• G01N27/4145

  specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors · CPC title

• H01L51/0048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01N33/1826

  Organic contamination in water · CPC title

• H01L51/055

  Electricity · mapped topic