[Frontiers in Bioscience S1, 406-419, June 1, 2009]

Fabrication of biological arrays by unconventional lithographic methods

Sun Min Kim1, Kahp Yang Suh 2

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, 253 Young Hyun-dong, Nam-gu, Incheon, 402-751, Republic of Korea, 2 School of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering and the Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shinlim-dong, Kwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Methods for fabricating biological arrays
3.1. Direct transfer of biological species
3.1.1. Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN)
3.1.2. Direct contact printing
3.1.3. Droplet dispensing
3.2. Selective deposition of biological species on patterned surfaces
3.2.1. Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL)
3.2.2. Capillary Force Lithography (CFL)
3.2.3. Indirect contact printing
3.3. Stencil-based patterning
4. Conclusions
5. Acknowledgements
6. References

1. ABSTRACT

Biological arrays with dimensions less than 100 nm are emerging as a new tool for biological research in the fields of genomics, proteomics, cell analysis, and tissue engineering. In this review, unconventional lithographic methods for the fabrication of biological arrays are summarized and compared in terms of spot size, density, resolution and ease in fabrication. The methods are classified into three categories: a) direct transfer of biological species on the substrate, b) selective deposition on the patterned surface using an adhesion-controlled template material, and c) stencil or membrane-based deposition on specific regions of a substrate. This review would be useful to related researchers in bioscience and bioengineering.