DPN Technology / Basic Research
Basic Research and Applications
In 1998, only one laboratory was using DPN® technology as a research tool. Now, more than 50 laboratories are leveraging the technology to improve their research efforts with rapid creation of varieties of different materials and nanoscale structures at low cost. In this same short timeframe, more than 400 articles on DPN have been published. These examples demonstrate that NanoInk's paradigm-shifting DPN process has been a catalyst for new science and a pipeline to accelerate new industrial applications for researchers worldwide from a variety of disciplines. As these new industrial opportunities are developed, NanoInk contributes to their commercialization, which serves the entire lifecycle of DPN-related work. The following chart illustrates DPN applications across different fields of research:
| Fundamental Chemistry and Materials Science | Nanomaterials discovery |
| Basic surface science research | |
| Novel DPN chemistry development | |
| Biological Research | Fundamental deposition of bioactive molecules |
| Controlling biorecognition, interactions (zinc immobilization) | |
| Biointerfaces | |
| DNA, protein arrays, viral arrays | |
| Clinical, applied biological deposition | |
| Device Research | Photonic devices |
| Nanowire/CNT manipulation | |
| Quantum dot manipulation | |
| Novel material devices | |
| Display arrays | |
| Deposition, manipulation, nanoelectronic characterization | |
| Nanolithography, Nanofabrication, Nanomanufacturing | Etch-resist, nanoscale feature patterning |
| Orthogonal templated assembly, nanomaterials | |
| Combinatorial prototyping | |
| Repair Technology | Photomask repair |
| Flat panel display repair | |
| Brand Protection | Pharmaceuticals |
| Medical devices | |
| Other high-value items |
Precision nanoscale deposition is a fundamental requirement for much of current nanoscience research, which DPN provides by tailoring chemical composition and surface structure on the sub-100 nm scale. DPN methods have been developed to pattern a wide variety of ink-substrate combinations. It is compatible with many inks, from small organic molecules to organic and biological polymers, and from colloidal particles to metals ions and sols. Nanotechnology tools that are capable of generating surface patterns of two or more distinct molecules are increasingly in demand. Such multi-component structures are critical for investigating nanoscale device architectures and ultra-dense bio-arrays.
As the only lithographic technique offering high resolution and alignment registration with direct-write printing capabilities, DPN is a particularly attractive tool for patterning biological and soft organic structures onto surfaces. These molecules can be deposited in either ambient or inert environments without exposing them to ionizing UV or electron-beam radiation (unlike current industrial lithography methods). Several different kinds of molecules can also be deposited without exposing the substrate to harsh solvents or chemical etchants, and without introducing cross-contamination. For DPN methods, the desired chemistry is carried out exactly, and only, where it is needed. When using oligomer or protein-based inks, the DPN method can produce nanoscale spotted features which are much smaller than conventional bio-arrays. For example, researchers have generated Lysozyme and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) nanoarrays featuring structures as small as 100 nm in diameter that were shown to exhibit an almost complete absence of non-specific binding.1 Alternatively, using a zinc-modified templating technique, researchers have deposited and oriented single viruses, creating arrays of single virus particles which were immobilized, oriented, and bioactive.2 They also found that virus density has a huge effect on infectivity rates. This suggests new ways to study the effectiveness of drugs and delivery techniques. Generally, these capabilities access a vast therapeutic market space.
DPN can also be used to pattern alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) onto ultra-clean gold surfaces with high-resolution and registration. The high-quality (crystalline in the case of several thiol inks) SAM patterns can be used as etch resists. DPN etch resist techniques have been refined to produce a variety of high-resolution metal and semiconductor features with controllable surface chemistry. These techniques can be scaled up. Proof-of-concept etch resist work has been demonstrated using a 55,000 pen array that covered a square centimeter with nanoscale features.3 These same features can be used as the basis for templated assembly. Researchers have even demonstrated precisely positioned, sized, and oriented single-walled carbon nanotube (SW-CNT) attachment to these templated sites.4
DPN also has applications in photomask and flat panel display repair, as well as enabling covert nanoencryption for brand protection.
For more on DPN, research, applications, and products, please download and view the following video content:
- Introduction to Dip Pen Nanolithography®: low-res (3 MB) hi-res (16 MB)
- The Nuts and Bolts of DPN®: NSCRIPTOR™ and its Hardware: low-res (640 KB) hi-res (3 MB)
- Calibrating our System: InkCal™ low res (1 MB) hi-res (6 MB)
- Design, Write, and Inspect in InkCAD™: low-res (1 MB) hi-res (8 MB)
- Expanding the Frontier of Nanotechnology: DPN® Applications low-res (4 MB) hi-res (19 MB)
DPN Forum:
Visit DPNForum.com to participate in a community of vibrant academic and industrial researchers, utilizing Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) technology.
1. Lee, KB, et al J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 5588-5589 (2003) and Lim, JH, et al Angew. Chem. 42, 2309 (2003).
2. Vega, RA, et al Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed., 2005. 44: 6013-6015
3. Salaita, K, et al. Angew Chem. Int. Ed., 2006. (45)
4. Wang, Y, et al. PNAS, 2006. 103(7): 2026-2031
