Crack structures, tunneling junctions using crack structures and methods of making same

摘要

Disclosed is a method of making a crack structure on a substrate, the crack structure being usable as a tunneling junction structure in a nanogap device, including the controlled fracture or release of a patterned layer under built-in stress, thereby forming elements separated by nanogaps or crack-junctions. The width of the crack-defined nanogap is controlled by locally release-etching the film at a notched bridge patterned in the film. The built-in stress contributes to forming the crack and defining of the width of the crack-defined nanogap. Further, by design of the length of the bridge in a range between sub-μπι to 25μαι, the separation between the elements, defined by the width of the crack-defined nanogaps, can be controlled for each individual crack structure from 2 nm to 100 nm. The nanogaps can be used for tunneling devices in combination with nanopores for DNA, RNA or peptides sequencing.