Self-Assembled DNA: A Template for Constructing Electronic Devices

In order to increase the performance of electronic devices, much technical effort is being devoted towards shrinking the size of the individual components. However, it is uncertain whether the current pace of miniaturization may be continued since fundamental limits of the photolithographic technique are being reached. As an alternative to photolithography, the use of self-assembled biological molecules to template the formation of electrical components provides a means to construct devices with smaller feature sizes. Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (RMD) proposes using DNA lattices to specifically template the formation of extremely small (< 20 nm diameter) conducting wires to precise locations. These wires will then be incorporated into an integrated semiconductor-based device which should have superior performance capabilities (i.e., speed) compared to existing devices due to the smaller dimensions.