TEM based applications in solid state nanopores: From fabrication to liquid in-situ bio-imaging

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Nanopore technology offers diverse applications, including DNA sequencing and ion detection.
• Solid-state nanopores present advantages over biological ones, such as tunable size and stability.
• Scalable, cost-effective fabrication of solid-state nanopores remains a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) methods for solid-state nanopore fabrication and imaging.
• To highlight TEM's unique capability for simultaneous nanopore creation and visualization.
• To discuss emerging hybrid nanopores and their fabrication/imaging using TEM.

Main Methods:

• Detailed review of Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) based nanopore fabrication techniques.
• Exploration of TEM protocols for precise pore size control and characterization.
• Analysis of TEM imaging techniques for both solid-state and DNA origami structures.

Main Results:

• TEM enables high-accuracy fabrication and simultaneous imaging of solid-state nanopores.
• TEM is crucial for characterizing nanopore dimensions and surface properties.
• Review covers TEM applications in creating and imaging hybrid nanopores, including DNA origami integration.

Conclusions:

• TEM is an indispensable tool for advancing solid-state nanopore technology.
• Standardized TEM protocols are needed for reproducible nanopore fabrication and characterization.
• This review serves as a comprehensive reference for TEM applications in nanopore science and bioimaging.