Atomic force microscopy of DNA self-assembled nanostructures for device applications

DNA nanotechnology, which relies on Watson-Crick hybridization, is a versatile self-assembly process whereby a variety of complex nanostructures can be fabricated with sublithographic features. Adopting this technology, 10 identical devices can be synthesized to have hundreds of components with 1 nm resolution. Example nanostructures include: 1) DNA motifs, 2) two-dimensional DNA crystals, and DNA origami. Currently, this technology is being adopted towards electronic, optical, and opto-electronic devices.