DNA Self-Assembly on Lithographic Patterns: Fabrication Methods

The combination of structural DNA nanotechnology and lithographic surface patterning has recently advanced from proof-of-principle demonstrations to device-relevant applications, including field-effect transistors, prototypical photodiodes, plasmonic metasurfaces, quantum light sources, dynamic nanomachines, and single-molecule sensor arrays where molecular devices are patterned on the sub-micrometer scale. Recent advances now allow the deterministic placement of DNA nanostructures of varying geometries, sizes, and complexities onto chip surfaces, as well as subsequent on-surface assembly into hierarchical architectures. In this review, we summarize fabrication strategies for DNA self-assembly on lithographically patterned substrates, focusing on two main areas: (i) methods for designing and depositing DNA nanostructures and enabling surface self-assembly, and (ii) techniques for fabricating patterned surfaces through lithography and chemical functionalization. We then highlight advances across optoelectronics, quantum technologies, and biotechnology, identify key remaining challenges, and conclude with a perspective on how the combination of DNA nanotechnology and lithography may provide a foundation for next-generation nanoscale devices.