Exploring the Prospects for a Nanometer-scale Gene Chip

We are exploring the feasibility of sequencing a single molecule of DNA using a revolutionary type of silicon integrated circuit that incorporates an on-chip nanopore mechanism with a molecular trap. The essential component is a single, nanometer-diameter pore in a robust, nanometer-thick membrane formed from a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor. To sequence the molecule, the voltage induced by the dipole moment associated with each base is measured using the electrodes on the capacitor as the DNA translocates through the pore