Devices and methods for controlling molecular transport are disclosed herein. The devices include a membrane having a plurality of nanochannels extending therethrough. The membrane has an inner electrically conductive layer and an outer dielectric layer. The outer dielectric layer creates an insulative barrier between the electrically conductive layer and the contents of the nanochannels. At least one electrical contact region is positioned on a surface of the membrane. The electrical contact region exposes the electrically conductive layer of the membrane for electrical coupling to external electronics. When the membrane is at a first voltage, molecules flow through the nanochannels at a first release rate. When the membrane is at a second voltage, charge accumulation within the nanochannels modulates the flow of molecules through the nanochannels to a second release rate that is different than the first release rate. Methods of fabricating devices for controlling molecular transport are also disclosed herein.

The present disclosure proposes a micro power generation device including a plurality of generators stacked one above the other. Each of the plurality of generators includes: an upper electrode and a lower electrode spaced up and down; a spacer provided between peripheral edges of the upper electrode and the lower electrode; an upper friction material layer provided on a side of the upper electrode facing the lower electrode; and a lower friction material layer provided on a side of the lower electrode facing the upper electrode. The upper friction material layer, the lower friction material layer and the spacer together form a cavity. An intermediate spacer is provided between each adjacent two generators, each adjacent two generators and the intermediate spacer together form an intermediate cavity, and the intermediate cavity is filled with gas. A cavity of an upper one of any two adjacent generators communicates with the intermediate cavity between the two adjacent generators.

A method for creating at least one recess, in particular an aperture, in a transparent or transmissive material, includes: selectively modifying the material along a beam axis by electromagnetic radiation; and creating the at least one recess by one or more etching steps, using different etching rates in a modified region and in non-modified regions. The electromagnetic radiation produces modifications having different characteristics in the material along the beam axis such that the etching process in the material is heterogeneous and the etching rates differ from one another in regions modified with different characteristics under unchanged etching conditions.

An intermediate structure for a microfluidic device and a method for manufacturing a microfluidic device are provided. The method includes: a) providing a first substrate having a first layer thereon, and a second layer on the first layer; b) forming a first nanopore in the second layer, in such a way that a part of the first layer coincides with a bottom of the first nanopore; c) exposing said part of the first layer to a liquid etchant, thereby forming a cavity under the first nanopore, the cavity having a larger width than a width of the bottom of the first nanopore; d) filling the first nanopore and the cavity with a filling material, thereby forming a first plug; e) forming a bottom fluidic access for the nanopore by removing part of the first substrate and part of the first layer so as to expose the plug; and f) removing the plug, thereby fluidly connecting the bottom fluidic access to the nanopore.

The present disclosure relates to fluidic systems and devices for processing, extracting, or purifying one or more analytes. These systems and devices can be used for processing samples and extracting nucleic acids, for example by isotachophoresis. In particular, the systems and related methods can allow for extraction of nucleic acids, including non-crosslinked nucleic acids, from samples such as tissue or cells. The systems and devices can also be used for multiplex parallel sample processing.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of through-holes (132) in a layer of material by subjecting the layer to directional dry etching to provide through-holes (132) in the layer of material; For batch-wise production, the method comprises after a step of providing a layer of first material (220) on base material and before the step of directional dry etching, providing a plurality of holes at the central locations of pits (210), etching base material at the central locations of the pits (210) so as to form a cavity (280) with an aperture (281), depositing a second layer of material (240) on the base material in the cavity (280), and subjecting the second layer of material (240) in the cavity (280) to said step of directional dry etching using the aperture (281) as the opening (141) of a shadow mask.

A droplet actuator for manipulating a fluid using an electrical field includes a droplet arranged on or over an electrode. The droplet includes a set of beads arranged substantially in a monolayer on or over a surface of the droplet actuator.

Disclosed are methods for determining and classifying aircraft air contaminants comprising one or more of: turbine engine oil, hydraulic fluid and deicing fluid using contaminant analyzers comprising a contaminant collector comprising a membrane and a heater vaporizing the contaminants; a gravimetric sensor generating a response when contaminant mass is added to or removed from the sensor, the sensor receiving contaminants desorbed from the heated membrane; a frequency measurement device, measuring the response generated by the sensor as the contaminant is added to and removed from the sensor; a computer readable medium bearing a contaminant recognition program and calibration data; a processor executing the program, the program including a module classifying contaminants by type, and a module using the data for comparison with magnitude of response generated by the sensor to calculate contaminant concentration; and, a pump, generating flow of air through the collector before and after the membrane is heated.

A method for fabricating a stacked nanopore includes forming a stack of layers having alternating conductive lines and dielectric layers on a substrate, and patterning the stack to form a staircase structure with the conductive lines having a length gradually changing at each level in the stack. The method also includes depositing and planarizing a dielectric material over the staircase structure, forming contacts through the dielectric material to the conductive lines for each level of conductive lines, etching a nanopore through the stack of layers to form pairs of opposing electrodes across the nanopore using the conductive lines; and opening up the substrate to expose the nanopore.

Nanopore flow cells and methods of manufacturing thereof are provided herein. In one embodiment a method of forming a flow cell includes forming a multi-layer stack on a first substrate, e.g., a monocrystalline silicon substrate, before transferring the multi-layer stack to a second substrate, e.g., a glass substrate. Here, the multi-layer stack features a membrane layer, having a first opening formed therethrough, where the membrane layer is disposed on the first substrate, and a material layer is disposed on the membrane layer. The method further includes patterning the second substrate to form a second opening therein and bonding the patterned surface of the second substrate to a surface of the multi-layer stack. The method further includes thinning the first substrate and thinning the second substrate. Here, the second substrate is thinned to where the second opening is disposed therethrough. The method further includes removing the thinned first substrate and at least portions of the material layer to expose opposite surfaces of the membrane layer.