A method of processing nano- and micro-pores includes washing a substrate and cleaning a surface of the substrate; spin-coating photoresist, exposing the substrate and developing to form the substrate with a pattern; 3. depositing micro-nano metal particles on the surface of the substrate; wherein the micro-nano metal particles are centered on a magnetic core; and the surface of the magnetic core is plated with a metal nano-particle coating composed of a plurality of gold, silver or aluminum nanoparticles; removing the photoresist, and maintaining dot arrays of the micro-nano metal particles; applying laser irradiation and a strong uniform magnetic field on the substrate, so that the substrate is processed to form processed structures; and after the processed structures being formed into nano-/micro-pores with targeted pore size, shape and depth, stopping the laser irradiation and removing the strong uniform magnetic field.

Methods for manufacturing MEMS structures are provided. The method includes forming a first trench and a second trench in a MEMS substrate by performing a main etching process and etching the MEMS substrate through the first trench and the second trench to form a first through hole and an extended second trench by performing a first step of an over-etching process. The method further includes etching the MEMS substrate through the extended second trench to form a second through hole by performing a second step of the over-etching process. In addition, a width of the first trench is greater than a width of the second trench, and a height of the first trench is greater than of a height of the MEMS substrate, and a height of the second trench is smaller than of the MEMS substrate.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes following steps. First of all, plural first openings and plural second openings are sequentially formed on a material layer disposed on a substrate, with the second openings across the first openings to form plural overlapped regions. Then, plural patterns arranged in an array arrangement are formed, with each pattern overlapped each overlapped region, respectively. After that, transferring the first openings, the second openings and the patterns to the material layer, to from plural material patterns in an array arrangement. In another embodiment of the present invention, the first openings and the second openings may be replaced by plural first patterns and plural second patterns, while the patterns are replaced by plural openings.

Methods are provided for manufacturing well-controlled, solid-state nanopores and arrays of well-controlled, solid-state nanopores by a cyclic process including atomic layer deposition (ALD), or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and etching. One or more features are formed in a thin film deposited on a topside of a substrate. A dielectric material is deposited over the substrate having the one or more features in the thin film. An etching process is then used to etch a portion of the dielectric material deposited over the substrate having the one or more features in the thin film. The dielectric material deposition and etching processes are optionally repeated to reduce the size of the features until a well-controlled nanopore is formed through the thin film on the substrate.

Methods are provided for manufacturing well-controlled, solid-state nanopores and arrays thereof. In one aspect, methods for manufacturing nanopores and arrays thereof exploit a physical seam. One or more etch pits are formed in a topside of a substrate and one or more trenches, which align with the one or more etch pits, are formed in a backside of the substrate. An opening is formed between the one or more etch pits and the one or more trenches. A dielectric material is then formed over the substrate to fill the opening. Contacts are then disposed on the topside and the backside of the substrate and a voltage is applied from the topside to the backside, or vice versa, through the dielectric material to form a nanopore. In another aspect, the nanopore is formed at or near the center of the opening at a seam, which is formed in the dielectric material.

Methods for manufacturing MEMS structures are provided. The method includes forming a first trench and a second trench in a MEMS substrate by performing a main etching process and etching the MEMS substrate through the first trench and the second trench to form a first through hole and an extended second trench by performing a first step of an over-etching process. The method further includes etching the MEMS substrate through the extended second trench to form a second through hole by performing a second step of the over-etching process. In addition, a width of the first trench is greater than a width of the second trench, and a height of the first trench is greater than of a height of the MEMS substrate, and a height of the second trench is smaller than of the MEMS substrate.

Methods of manufacturing well-controlled nanopores using directed self-assembly and methods of manufacturing free-standing membranes using selective etching are disclosed. In one aspect, one or more nanopores are formed by directed self-assembly with block co-polymers to shrink the critical dimension of a feature which is then transferred to a thin film. In another aspect, a method includes providing a substrate having a thin film over a highly etchable layer thereof, forming one or more nanopores through the thin film over the highly etchable layer, for example, by a pore diameter reduction process, and then selectively removing a portion of the highly etchable layer under the one or more nanopores to form a thin, free-standing membrane.

The present technology provides for a microfluidic substrate configured to carry out PCR on a number of polynucleotide-containing samples in parallel. The substrate can be a single-layer substrate in a microfluidic cartridge. Also provided are a method of making a microfluidic cartridge comprising such a substrate. Still further disclosed are a microfluidic valve suitable for use in isolating a PCR chamber in a microfluidic substrate, and a method of making such a valve.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of through-holes in a layer of first material by subjecting part of the layer of said first material to ion beam milling. For batch-wise production, the method comprises after a step of providing the layer of first material and before the step of ion beam milling, providing a second layer of a second material on the layer of first material, providing the second layer of the second material with a plurality of holes, the holes being provided at central locations of pits in the first layer, and subjecting the second layer of the second material to said step of ion beam milling at an angle using said second layer of the second material as a shadow mask.

A method of manufacturing a nano membrane structure includes preparing a temporary structure having a substrate in which a through-hole is formed in a central portion, and a nano membrane including silicon nitride (SiN), that covers the through-hole on the substrate, and including a central area formed on the through-hole, and a peripheral area formed on the substrate. The method includes preparing an insulating support member including at least one of silicon and a compound containing silicon, and in which a micropore is formed in a central portion, forming a complex structure by performing a hydrophilic surface processing of a surface of the nano membrane and one surface of the insulating support member and by bonding the temporary structure and the insulating support member so that at least a portion of the central area of the nano membrane and the micropore face, and removing the substrate from the complex structure.