Insulating behavior for DNA molecules between nanoelectrodes at the 100 nm length scale

Abstract

Electrical transport measurements are reported for double-stranded DNA molecules located between nanofabricated electrodes. We observe the absence of any electrical conduction through these DNA-based devices, both at the single-molecule level as well as for small bundles of DNA. We obtain a lower bound of 10 TΩ for the resistance of a DNA molecule at length scales larger than 40 nm. It is concluded that DNA is insulating. This conclusion is based on an extensive set of experiments in which we varied key parameters such as the base-pair sequence [mixed sequence and homogeneous poly(dG)⋅poly(dC)], length between contacts (40–500 nm), substrate (SiO2 or mica), electrode material (gold or platinum), and electrostatic doping fields. Discrepancies with other reports in the literature are discussed.