Nanometer-Scale Patterning of DNA in Controlled Intervals on a Gold-Disk Array Fabricated Using Ideally Ordered Anodic Porous Alumina

摘要

Recently, the development of methods for constructing highly ordered structures of biological molecules such as proteins, DNA, and antibodies on a nanometer scale has become an important subject because these methods can lead to the progressive improvement of the function of biodevices. The observation of patterns of biological molecules using conventional optical microscopes is important in the evaluation of the functions of biological molecules. This is due to the feasibility of this method in aqueous environments and to the simplicity of the instrumentation used. In a previous paper, we have reported the fabrication of highly ordered submicro-meter-sized arrays of DNA on an array of regularly sized Au disks using anodic porous alumina. The fluorescence images of fluorescent-dye-labeled DNA with ideally ordered fluorescence spots were obtained using a conventional fluorescence microscope after a hybridization reaction. When the fabrication of nanopatterns of biological molecules was examined using anodic porous alumina, the resolution limit of the optical fluorescence microscope became a serious problem in the observation of the patterns. A reduction in hole diameter was accomplished by decreasing the anodization voltage, which was also accompanied by a decrease in the hole period. As a result, the interval between the patterns of biological molecules fabricated using conventional anodic porous alumina became too small to be resolved by optical microscopy.