Solid-state nanopores are powerful tools for sensing of single biomolecules in solution. Fabrication of solid-state nanopores is still challenging, however; in particular, new methods are needed to facilitate the integration of pores with larger nanofluidic and electronic device architectures. We have developed the tip-controlled local breakdown (TCLB) approach, in which an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip is brought into contact with a silicon nitride membrane that is placed onto an electrolyte reservoir. The application of a voltage bias at the AFM tip induces a dielectric breakdown that leads to the formation of a nanopore at the tip position. In this work, we report on the details of the apparatus used to fabricate nanopores using the TCLB method, and we demonstrate the formation of nanopores with smaller, more controlled diameters using a current limiting circuit that zeroes the voltage upon pore formation. Additionally, we demonstrate the capability of TCLB to fabricate pores aligned to embedded topographical features on the membranes.

中文翻译：

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一种基于原子力显微镜的尖端控制局部击穿装置

固态纳米孔是检测溶液中单个生物分子的有力工具。然而，固态纳米孔的制造仍然具有挑战性。特别是，需要新的方法来促进孔与更大的纳米流体和电子设备架构的集成。我们开发了尖端控制局部击穿 (TCLB) 方法，其中原子力显微镜 (AFM) 尖端与放置在电解质储液器上的氮化硅膜接触。在 AFM 尖端施加偏压会引起介电击穿，导致在尖端位置形成纳米孔。在这项工作中，我们报告了用于使用 TCLB 方法制造纳米孔的设备的详细信息，并证明了纳米孔的形成具有更小、使用限流电路在孔形成时将电压归零，从而获得更多控制的直径。此外，我们展示了 TCLB 制造与膜上嵌入的地形特征对齐的孔的能力。