Field-induced nanolithography for high-throughput pattern transfer

DNA Origami Nanophotonics and Plasmonics at Interfaces

DNA nanotechnology provides a versatile toolbox for creating custom and accurate shapes that can serve as versatile templates for nanopatterning. These DNA templates can be used as molecular-scale precision tools in, for example, biosensing, nanometrology, and super-resolution imaging, and biocompatible scaffolds for arranging other nano-objects, for example, for drug delivery applications and molecular electronics. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to their potent use in nanophotonics since these modular templates allow a wide range of plasmonic and photonic ensembles ranging from DNA-directed nanoparticle and fluorophore arrays to entirely metallic nanostructures. This Feature Article focuses on the DNA-origami-based nanophotonics and plasmonics-especially on the methods that take advantage of various substrates and interfaces for the foreseen applications.

Custom-shaped metal nanostructures based on DNA origami silhouettes

The DNA origami technique provides an intriguing possibility to develop customized nanostructures for various bionanotechnological purposes. One target is to create tailored bottom-up-based plasmonic devices and metamaterials based on DNA metallization or controlled attachment of nanoparticles to the DNA designs. In this article, we demonstrate an alternative approach: DNA origami nanoshapes can be utilized in creating accurate, uniform and entirely metallic (e.g. gold, silver and copper) nanostructures on silicon substrates. The technique is based on developing silhouettes of the origamis in the grown silicon dioxide layer, and subsequently using this layer as a mask for further patterning. The proposed method has a high spatial resolution, and the fabrication yields can approach 90%. The approach allows a cost-effective, parallel, large-scale patterning on a chip with fully tailored metallic nanostructures; the DNA origami shape and the applied metal can be specifically chosen for each conceivable implementation.

Dielectrophoresis at the nanoscale

Dielectrophoresis has become a powerful tool for manipulation of various materials, such as metal and semiconducting particles, DNA molecules, nanowires and graphene. This short review is intended to provide the reader with an overview of the recent advances of application of dielectrophoresis at the nanoscale.

Trapping and immobilization of DNA molecules between nanoelectrodes

DNA is one of the most promising molecules for nanoscale bottom-up fabrication. For both scientific studies and fabrication of devices, it is desirable to be able to manipulate DNA molecules, or self--assembled DNA constructions, at the single unit level. Efficient methods are needed for precisely attaching the single unit to the external measurement setup or the device structure. So far, this has often been too cumbersome to achieve, and consequently most of the scientific studies are based on a statistical analysis or measurements done for a sample containing numerous molecules in liquid or in a dry state. Here, we explain a method for trapping and attaching nanoscale double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules between nanoelectrodes. The method is based on dielectrophoresis and gives a high yield of trapping only single or a few molecules, which enables, for example, transport measurements at the single -molecule level. The method has been used to trap different dsDNA fragments, sizes varying from 27 to 8,416 bp, and also DNA origami constructions. We also explain how confocal microscopy can be used to determine and optimize the trapping parameters.