Microelectronic components and electronic networks comprising DNA

Abstract

Microelectronic network devices and components are fabricated by binding or complexing at least one electronically functional substance to a molecular fiber, such as a nucleic acid fiber. The devices and components can be combined by interconnecting the complexed fibers to provide microelectronic circuits or networks. Assembly processes involve interactions of various combinations of the fibers and substances used in fabrication.

1 . An electronic network component comprising: 
 at least one fiber including one or more nucleotide chains; and    one or more substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles bound to or complexed with the fiber, to form at least one electrical or electronic component.    
     
     
         2 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrode electrically connected to the fiber.  
     
     
         3 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a linker connecting the fiber to the electrode.  
     
     
         4 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the linker is an oligonucleotide.  
     
     
         5 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles are bound to or complexed with at least one of the nucleotide chains.  
     
     
         6 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles include a conducting substance.  
     
     
         7 . An electronic network component according to  claim 6 , wherein the conducting substance is bound to at least a portion of the fiber.  
     
     
         8 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising an insulating layer provided on the conducting substance.  
     
     
         9 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the conductive substance includes a metal.  
     
     
         10 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the conductive substance includes a polymer.  
     
     
         11 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the polymer is doped to impart conductivity.  
     
     
         12 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles include a semiconductor material.  
     
     
         13 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor material is bound to at least a portion of the nucleotide chains.  
     
     
         14 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a second semiconductor material.  
     
     
         15 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the first and second semiconductor materials are of different types.  
     
     
         16 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second semiconductor materials of different types are located adjacent one another along the fiber.  
     
     
         17 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second semiconductor materials form a p-n junction.  
     
     
         18 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising a third semiconductor material forming a p-n-p or n-p-n junction with the first and second semiconductor materials.  
     
     
         19 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nucleotide chains include a multi-strand nucleotide.  
     
     
         20 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the multi-strand nucleotide is DNA.  
     
     
         21 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the fiber includes at least one non-nucleotide component.  
     
     
         22 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the at least one non-nucleotide component is selected from the group consisting of conducting polymers, semi-conducting polymers, polymers modified to render them electrically or electronically functional, and nano-structures.  
     
     
         23 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the at least one non-nucleotide component is a nano-structure.  
     
     
         24 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the nano-structure is a carbon nano-tube.  
     
     
         25 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 1  comprising at least two fibers joined at a junction between the two fibers.  
     
     
         26 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the junction is a bond between the two fibers.  
     
     
         27 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the bond is covalent.  
     
     
         28 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 27 , further comprising at least one of a binding atom, molecule, residue or group bound to at least one of the nucleotide chains.  
     
     
         29 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 27 , further comprising moieties of a binding couple added respectively to each of the first and second nucleotide chains.  
     
     
         30 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the binding couple is selected from the group consisting of biotin-avidin, biotin-streptavidin, receptor-ligand, dig-antidig, antigen-antibody, sugar-lectin, nucleotide sequence-complementary sequence, and nucleotide chain-nucleotide binding protein.  
     
     
         31 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the bond is the result of a sequence-specific interaction.  
     
     
         32 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the sequence-specific interaction takes place between the two fibers.  
     
     
         33 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 32 , wherein sequence specific interaction is between a nucleotide chain segment of the first fiber and a nucleotide chain segment of the second fiber.  
     
     
         34 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the junction between the two fibers includes an interface component.  
     
     
         35 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the interface component is selected from the group consisting of one or more substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, and particles.  
     
     
         36 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 35 , wherein the interface component is bound as the result of a sequence-specific interaction.  
     
     
         37 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 35 , wherein the interface component is bound as the result of a covalent bond.  
     
     
         38 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 34 , further comprising at least one linker bound to the interface component.  
     
     
         39 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 38 , wherein the linker is bound to at least one of the fibers.  
     
     
         40 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 39 , wherein the linker is bound as the result of a sequence-specific interaction.  
     
     
         41 . An electronic network component as recited in  claim 39 , wherein the linker is bound as the result of a covalent bond.  
     
     
         42 . An electronic component as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical or electronic component is selected from the group consisting of insulators, resistors, switches, transistors, bipolar transistors, field effect transistors, single electron transistors, diodes, light-emitting diodes, capacitors, inductors, electroluminescent devices, memory elements, and logic elements.  
     
     
         43 . An electronic device comprising; 
 a semiconductor matrix;    a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to the semiconductor matrix;    and    a gate vire formed of a conductive nucleotide fiber disposed on the semiconductor matrix between the source and gate electrodes.    
     
     
         44 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the gate electrode is disposed in a recess in the semiconductor matrix.  
     
     
         45 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the nucleotide fiber is made conductive by depositing one or more substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles onto the fiber.  
     
     
         46 . An electronic device comprising: 
 a fiber including at least one a nucleotide chain;    a p-type substance bound to the fiber; and    an n-type substance bound to the fiber.    
     
     
         47 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 46 , wherein the fiber includes a single-stranded nucleotide chain.  
     
     
         48 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 46 , wherein the fiber includes double-stranded nucleotide chain.  
     
     
         49 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 46 , the fiber including at least one non-nucleotide fiber sequence.  
     
     
         50 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 49 , wherein the non-nucleotide fiber sequence includes a semi-conducting polymer.  
     
     
         51 . An electronic device as in  claim 46 , wherein the p-type substance is bound to the nucleotide chain by a first oligonucleotide.  
     
     
         52 . An electronic device as in  claim 46 , wherein the n-type substance is bound to the nucleotide chain by a second oligonucleotide.  
     
     
         53 . An electronic device as in  claim 46 , wherein a portion of the fiber chain is treated to form a wire.  
     
     
         54 . An electronic device as in  claim 53 , wherein the wire includes one or more substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles deposited on the nucleotide fiber.  
     
     
         55 . An electronic device as in  claim 46 , further comprising a branch formed in the fiber.  
     
     
         56 . An electronic device as in  claim 55 , wherein the branch is formed by a double-stranded nucleotide.  
     
     
         57 . An electronic device as in  claim 55 , wherein the branch forms a transistor junction.  
     
     
         58 . A method of constructing an electronic device comprising: 
 binding a p-type substance to a fiber including at least one nucleotide chain;    binding an n-type substance to the fiber; and    treating a portion of the fiber to form a conductor.    
     
     
         59 . A method according to  claim 58 , wherein further comprising the step of binding an oligonucleotide to the nucleotide chain.  
     
     
         60 . A method according to  claim 58 , wherein a semi-conducting polymer segment is included in the fiber.  
     
     
         61 . A method according to  claim 60 , wherein the semi-conducting polymer segment includes either the n-type or the p-type substance.  
     
     
         62 . An electronic device comprising: 
 at least two conductive nucleotide fibers; and    a molecular fragment conductively joined to each of the nucleotide fibers, wherein the molecular fragment has a modifiable conductivity.    
     
     
         63 . An electronic device as recited in  claim 62 , wherein the molecular fragment is a bis-thiophene derivative of hexafluorocyclopentene or maleimide.  
     
     
         64 . A method of constructing a switch component comprising: 
 forming at least two conductive nucleotide fibers; and    joining respective ends the conductive nucleotide fibers to a molecular fragment to form a switch, wherein the molecular fragment has a modifiable conductivity.    
     
     
         65 . A method of operating a switch component comprising: 
 joining respective ends of a pair of conductive nucleotide fibers to a molecular fragment to form a switch, wherein the molecular fragment has a modifiable conductivity; and    modifying the conductive state of the molecular fragment.    
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the step of modifying the conductive state of the molecular fragment includes directing light energy onto the molecular fragment.  
     
     
         67 . A single electron transistor comprising: 
 an interface component; and    first, second and third nucleotide fibers bound to the interface component.    
     
     
         68 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 67 , wherein each of the nucleotide fibers has a different sticky end.  
     
     
         69 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 68 , wherein each of sticky ends is complementary to a respective one of the three oligonucleotides.  
     
     
         70 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 67 , further comprising functional groups on each of the fibers.  
     
     
         71 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 70 , wherein the functional groups include one or more substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles bound to or complexed with each fiber.  
     
     
         72 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the third nucleotide fiber is bound to the interface component by a non-conducting complexing agent.  
     
     
         73 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 72 , wherein the non-conducting complexing agent is a protein or a supramolecular structure.  
     
     
         74 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the interface component is a colloid particle.  
     
     
         75 . A single electron transistor as recited in  claim 67 , further comprising an insulating layer on the interface component.  
     
     
         76 . A method of constructing a single electron transistor comprising: 
 binding an interface component with three oligonucleotides, one of the oligonucleotides being bound to the interface component by way of a non-conducting complexing agent; and hybridizing each of three nucleotide-based fibers respectively to each of the three oligonucleotides.    
     
     
         77 . A method of constructing a single electron transistor as recited in  claim 76 , further comprising layering insulation on the interface component.  
     
     
         78 . A method of constructing a single electron transistor as recited in  claim 77 , including depositing one or more substances, molecules, clusters of atoms or molecules, or particles onto each of the fibers to form conductors.