Photo-induced synthesis of DNA-templated metallic nanowires and their integration into micro-fabricated contact arrays

We report the synthesis of metallic nanowires accomplished by site-specific integration of single DNA duplexes into micro-fabricated contact arrays and their subsequent selective metallization. DNA interconnects between metallic contacts are formed by tethering the ends of DNA molecules, stretched in hydrodynamic flow into a linear conformation, at different gold contact pads via thiol functional groups. To transform the DNA interconnects into metallic cluster chains or nanowires, we use an electroless metal deposition technique where platinum ions bound along the DNA molecules from a salt solution are reduced to metallic clusters of less than 10 nm in diameter by applying UV light.