ERI: Robust and Scalable Manufacturing of Ultra-Sensitive and Selective Molecule Sensor Arrays

ERI：稳健且可扩展的超灵敏和选择性分子传感器阵列制造

• 批准号: 2301668
• 负责人: Bo Li
• 金额: $ 19.97万
• 依托单位: Kennesaw State University Research and Service Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-02-01 至 2026-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2301668&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ERI; Robust; Scalable; Manufacturing; Ultra

To date, molecule sensors not only have a profound impact on various areas in clinical diagnostics, but also find applications in medicine, pharma, food and process control, environmental monitoring, defense and security. However, a low-cost and scalable manufacturing capability for ultra-sensitive and selective electronic molecule sensors has yet to be achieved. This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) project will develop a novel and broadly applicable platform for detecting molecules at the single molecule scale in real-time, using nanoparticle organized single-molecule sensors patterned on a highly scalable sensor array chip. The manufacturing method is highly reproducible, scalable and of extremely low cost, due to its inherent “bottom-up” manufacturing strategy. Such electronic molecule sensor arrays are both practically manufacturable in the near term, and have a durable long-term scaling roadmap, thus providing an ideal way to bring the power of advanced manufacturing to the broad area of molecule sensing. The outcome of this project will greatly impact a variety of fields with beneficial economic and workforce implications, transition fundamental scientific discoveries into useful technologies that benefit society, promote scientific progress, increase national prosperity, and maintain US leadership in advanced manufacturing. In addition, this project will establish a program of integrated research and education, promoting education and interdisciplinary approaches in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.The goal of this project is to develop a novel, robust and scalable manufacturing process for ultra-sensitive and selective electronic molecule sensor arrays to enable real time and label-free detection of targe molecule in an all-electronic format compatible with field deployment on integrated circuit chips by leveraging recent advances in singe-molecule charge transport and colloidal cracking. This project offers solutions to two key challenges in the field. The first is creating electronic molecule sensors capable of switching ON (i.e., from insulating to conductive state) in response to target molecule binding at single molecule scale that can be seamlessly integrated on chips. The second is scalable and low-cost manufacturing method at device scale for electrode pattern with extremely small gap between electrodes so that it can yield effective sensing current, and therefore, ultra-high sensitivity. Moreover, this project advances knowledge of charge transport in molecule sensor over three distinct length scales: single molecule, single nanoparticle, and assembled molecule-nanoparticle network. This work has potentially transformative impact in realizing a long-term endeavor towards advanced manufacturing - integrating single molecules into electronic chips for molecule sensor manufacturing to achieve the ultimate miniaturization of molecular electronics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

迄今为止，分子传感器不仅对临床诊断的各个领域产生深远的影响，而且还在医学、制药、食品和过程控制、环境监测、国防和安全等领域得到应用。超灵敏和选择性电子分子传感器尚未实现，该工程研究启动（ERI）项目将开发一种新颖且广泛适用的平台，使用纳米颗粒组织的单分子传感器实时检测单分子尺度的分子。图案化在一个高度可扩展的传感器阵列芯片。由于其固有的“自下而上”制造策略，这种制造方法具有高度可重复性、可扩展性和极低的成本，这种电子分子传感器阵列既可以在短期内实际制造，又具有耐用性。长期扩展路线图，从而提供了将先进制造的力量引入分子传感广泛领域的理想选择，该项目的成果将极大地影响各个领域，带来有益的经济和劳动力影响，并转变基础科学发现。变成有用的此外，该项目还将建立一个综合研究和教育计划，促进科学、技术、工程领域的教育和跨学科方法。该项目的目标是为超灵敏和选择性电子分子传感器阵列开发一种新颖、稳健和可扩展的制造工艺，从而能够以与利用集成电路芯片的现场部署该项目为该领域的两个关键挑战提供了解决方案，第一个是创建能够响应目标分子结合而打开（即从绝缘状态到导电状态）的电子分子传感器。第二个是在器件规模上可扩展且低成本的制造方法，用于电极之间间隙极小的电极图案，从而可以产生有效的传感电流，从而产生超高的电流。此外，该项目在三个不同长度尺度上的分子传感器电荷传输方面取得了进展：单分子、单纳米颗粒和组装的分子-纳米颗粒网络。这项工作对于实现先进制造的长期努力具有潜在的变革性影响。将单分子集成到电子芯片中，用于分子传感器制造，以实现分子电子学的最终小型化。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。