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Gate Electrodes Enable Tunable Nanofluidic Particle Traps.

Philippe M Nicollier¹, Aaron D Ratschow², Francesca Ruggeri¹

¹IBM Research Europe - Zurich, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

|April 10, 2024

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Researchers developed a new method to control nanoparticle traps using a buried gate electrode, enabling real-time modulation of potential energy. This breakthrough overcomes limitations of static traps for applications in nanofluidics and molecular biology.

Area of Science:

Nanotechnology
Physical Chemistry
Fluid Dynamics

Background:

Controlling nanoscale object location in liquids is crucial for fields like nanofluidics and molecular biology.
Electrostatic fluid traps use wall topography to overcome random Brownian motion, but are static and unmodifiable.
Existing methods lack dynamic control over nanoparticle trapping potentials.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and demonstrate a novel method for dynamically controlling electrostatic fluid traps.
To enable real-time modulation of potential energy wells for nanoscale object manipulation.
To develop a predictive model for understanding and optimizing controllable nanoparticle traps.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of a fluid trap with a buried gate electrode.

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Experimental measurement of nanoparticle escape times to quantify potential modulation.

Development of a parameter-free predictive model incorporating surface chemistry and electrostatic fringing.

Main Results:

Demonstrated real-time control of electrostatic nanoparticle traps via a buried gate electrode.
Quantified potential energy modulations of 0.7 kBT and surface potential changes of 50 mV.
Validated experimental findings with a predictive model that accurately reproduces results.

Conclusions:

A new strategy for dynamic control of nanoparticle traps has been successfully demonstrated.
This work paves the way for real-time controllable nanoparticle manipulation systems.
The findings have significant implications for advanced nanofluidic and molecular biology applications.