Sub-5 nm Silicon Nanopore Sensors: Scalable Fabrication via Self-Limiting Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching.

ABSTRACT: Solid-state nanopores offer unique possibilities for biomolecule sensing; however, scalable production of sub-5 nm pores with precise diameter control remains a manufacturing challenge. In this work, we developed a scalable method to fabricate sub-5 nm nanopores in silicon (Si) nanomembranes through metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) using gold nanoparticles. Notably, we present a previously unreported self-limiting effect that enables sub-5 nm nanopore formation from both 10 and 40 nm nanoparticles in the 12 nm thick monocrystalline device layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate. This effect reveals distinctive etching dynamics in ultrathin Si nanomembranes, enabling precise control over nanopore dimensions. The resulting nanopore sensor, suspended over self-aligned spheroidal oxide

SUBMITTER: De Ferrari F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11826499 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature