Area-Selective Atomic Layer Deposition of Metal Oxides on DNA Nanostructures and Its Applications

We demonstrate area-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) of oxides on DNA nanostructures. Area-selective ALD of Al₂O₃, TiO₂, and HfO₂ was successfully achieved on both 2D and 3D DNA nanostructures deposited on a polystyrene (PS) substrate. The resulting DNA-inorganic hybrid structure was used as a hard mask to achieve deep etching of a Si wafer for antireflection applications. ALD is a widely used process in coating and thin film deposition; our work points to a way to pattern oxide materials using DNA templates and to enhance the chemical/physical stability of DNA nanostructures for applications in surface engineering.