US 11,986,775 B2
Methods and apparatus for forming apertures in a solid state membrane using dielectric breakdown
Ping Xie, Needham, MA (US); Ken Healy, Oxford (GB); and Justin Millis, Oxford (GB)
Assigned to Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC, Oxford (GB)
Filed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC, Oxford (GB)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/788,733.
Application 16/788,733 is a continuation of application No. 15/575,798, granted, now 10,596,523, previously published as PCT/US2016/033487, filed on May 20, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 1508669 (GB), filed on May 20, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0179880 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01D 67/00 (2006.01); B01D 69/02 (2006.01); B01D 69/06 (2006.01); B01D 69/12 (2006.01); B82Y 40/00 (2011.01); C12Q 1/6869 (2018.01); C25F 3/02 (2006.01); C25F 3/14 (2006.01); C25F 7/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/487 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 67/0062 (2013.01) [B01D 69/02 (2013.01); B01D 69/06 (2013.01); B01D 69/12 (2013.01); C12Q 1/6869 (2013.01); C25F 3/02 (2013.01); C25F 3/14 (2013.01); C25F 7/00 (2013.01); G01N 33/48721 (2013.01); B01D 2323/42 (2013.01); B01D 2325/021 (2013.01); B01D 2325/06 (2013.01); B82Y 40/00 (2013.01)] 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a plurality of apertures in a solid state membrane using dielectric breakdown, wherein the membrane comprises a first surface area portion on one side of the membrane and a second surface area portion on the other side of the membrane, and each of a plurality of target regions comprises a recess or fluidic passage in the membrane that opens out into the first or second surface area portion, the method comprising:
contacting all of the first surface area portion of the membrane with a first bath comprising ionic solution and all of the second surface area portion with a second bath comprising ionic solution; and
applying a voltage across the membrane via first and second electrodes in respective contact with the first and second baths comprising ionic solutions to form an aperture at each of a plurality of the target regions in the membrane;
wherein:
the membrane comprises a first layer and a second layer; and
the formation of an aperture at each of the plurality of target regions occurs by dielectric breakdown through at least a portion of the second layer, wherein the second layer is formed by atomic layer deposition;
wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of sub-layers, each sub-layer formed by atomic layer deposition, wherein the plurality of sublayers comprises a sequence of sub-layers that repeats a plurality of times, each repeating sequence comprising at least a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer directly adjacent to the first sub-layer;
wherein the first sub-layers are non-epitaxial with respect to the second sub-layers;
wherein the first sub-layers comprise HfO2 and the second sub-layers comprise Al2O3.