Abstract

There are many techniques available for the creation of nanostructures, in a variety of substrates and materials. In general, we can classify the techniques as “top-down” or “bottom-up”. The first represent the path based on lithographic patterning, and include techniques ranging from beam of electrons to imprinting. Lithographic techniques are highly specialized, and have demonstrated the ability to create reliably patterns smaller than 10nm starting from uniform materials. The second instead begins with molecular structures assembled from simpler precursors, leading to larger and larger constructs, perhaps assembled in a hierarchical fashion – hence the term “supramolecular assembly”. DNA represents a particularly interesting “intelligent material” because the selectivity of the interactions that are based on the sequence can be put to good use to generate a wide variety of structures, from genetic material (i.e., genes) to complex nanostructures (i.e., origami). To provide a perspective, we will thus consider the question of how to create, and integrate a DNA nanostructure in a nanofabricated platform. From a size point of view, the crossover region is found in the 10-100 nm region. It is important thus to review how the techniques may interface, and how they can be integrated together.

© 2009 Optical Society of America