Unconventional electrochemistry in nanogap transducers

In this thesis, the results obtained from a research project aimed at ultimately realizing an all-electrical DNA sequencing platform onto a single chip are presented. To this end, we chose electrochemical sensors that are well suited for miniaturization as well as integration with microelectronics. In particular, our device involves redox cycling within a nanospaced twin electrode system (or nanogap). By virtue of being electrical in nature, such miniaturized sensors are well suited for large-scale microfabrication techniques. This allows them to be well integrated with microelectronics that can be used as a cost effective bio-electronic platform and can be utilized for a variety of applications from clinical examination to environmental analysis. Redox cycling at nanogaps have already demonstrated their ability to resolve single molecules with specific signatures that can be used as labels during DNA sequencing. In this thesis, we explore the individual ingredients for such an integrated system.