Electrically Controlled Nanofluidic DNA Sluice for Data Storage Applications

We propose an advanced architecture of an electrically controlled nanofluidic sluice for a DNA-based data storage device. Our device comprises embedded gold electrodes to which appropriate voltages are applied for effective capture, hold, and release of chimeric DNA strands. Electrostatic potential profiles across the device obtained via multiphysics simulation that solves for the Nernst–Planck–Poisson equation show nanoscale sluice operation for two device architectures: one with planar electrodes and the other with buried arch electrodes in combination with planar electrodes. Our simulations show that apart from its compatibility with complementary metal oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the device architecture with buried arch electrodes can effectively store the chimeric DNA strands without any leakage in conjunction with release on demand while offering the capability for large-scale integration.