DNA electrophoresis in a nanofence array

Abstract

We present the design and implementation of an oxidized silicon “nanofence array” for long DNA electrophoresis. The device consists of a periodic array of post-filled regions (the nanofences) alternating with empty channel regions. Even in this prototype version, the nanofence array provides the resolving power of a hexagonal nanopost array without requiring any direct-write nanopatterning steps such as electron-beam lithography. Through detailed single molecule investigations, we demonstrate that the origin of the resolving power of the nanofence array is not a reduction in band broadening, which might be expected from the theories for DNA electrophoresis in post arrays. Rather, the enhanced stretching of the hooked DNA by the uniform electric field between nanofences increases the efficiency of the collisions.