Helium ion microscope fabrication of solid-state nanopore devices for biomolecule analysis

Abstract

Solid-state nanopores are an emerging technology for the detection and analysis of biomolecules at the single-molecule level. Consisting of one or more nanometer-scale apertures in a thin, solid-state membrane, a number of methods have been utilized to make these devices. However, conventional approaches are either non-trivial to scale up or lack sufficient precision for many applications. In this chapter, we describe the use of the helium ion microscope to produce nanopores. We demonstrate control over diverse aspects of the device and discuss a range of applications that have been enabled by their implementation.