Nanogen broadens nanomanufacturing and technology

San Diego, CA-based Nanogen has been issued been issued a US patent 'Methods for the electronic assembly and fabrication of devices,' ("the '808 patent") by the US Patent and Trademark Office. This patent is the parent of a series of pending patent applications that significantly broaden Nanogen's proprietary position in the nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing areas. The company has now been issued nine patents during 2003, bringing the total number of patents issued in the US to 56.

'One of the challenges in producing new electronic and photonic devices using nanoscale components is the integration of these components into viable higher order devices. This new patent describes a unique electric field 'pick and place' process that facilitates the bringing together or integration of diverse DNA nanocomponents, thereby helping solve difficult scaling issues. Combining the top-down electric field process with the bottom-up DNA self-assembly process enables more selective and higher precision incorporation of nanoscale components into higher order devices and structures,' said Dr Michael Heller, co-founder of Nanogen.

Nanofabrication platforms and processes could be used for:

•producing new nanoscale electronic and photonic devices and structures, including high-density 2D and 3D data storage materials, 2D and 3D photonic crystal structures, hybrid electronic/photonic devices such as large area light emitting flat panel arrays and displays, and for the fabrication of highly integrated medical diagnostic and biosensor devices;

•the organisation, assembly and interconnection of nanostructures and submicron components onto silicon wafers and other materials;

•the integration of nanostructures within preformed microelectronic and optoelectronic structures;

•the production of precision modified nanoparticles (for example, photonic crystals, nanospheres and quantum dots) which can then more efficiently self-assemble into 2D and 3D structures and materials (photonic band gap structures, nanocomposite materials and so forth);

•and the fabrication of selectively addressable DNA nanoarray substrates and materials.