Method for making molecule carrier

1. A method for making a carrier for use in single molecule detection, comprising:

providing a first substrate;

coating a polymer layer on a surface of the first substrate;

transferring a template on a surface of the polymer layer by pressing the template into the surface of the polymer layer;

obtaining a second substrate after removing the template; and

applying a metal layer on the second substrate;

wherein a process of making the template comprises:

providing a third substrate;

providing a carbon nanotube composite structure, wherein the carbon nanotube composite structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes intersecting with each other and defining a plurality of openings;

placing the carbon nanotube composite structure on a surface of the third substrate, wherein parts of the surface are exposed from the plurality of openings to form exposed surfaces; and

forming a bulge pattern on the substrate by dry etching the exposed surfaces using the carbon nanotube composite structure as a mask, wherein the bulge pattern comprises a plurality of strip-shaped bulges intersecting with each other to form a net and define a plurality of recesses, the method of coating the polymer layer on the surface of the first substrate comprises:

providing a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) solution;

spin coating the PMMA solution on the surface of the first substrate to form a PMMA coating, wherein a rotating speed ranges from about 500 rpm to about 6000 rpm, and a spin coating time ranges from about 0.5 minutes to about 1.5 minutes; and

baking the PMMA coating at an oven temperature below 50 degrees Celsius for about 3 minutes to about 5 minutes so that the PMMA coating has fluidity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the carbon nanotube composite structure comprises:

providing a carbon nanotube structure comprising the plurality of carbon nanotubes; and

coating a protective layer on the carbon nanotube structure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbon nanotube structure is free standing.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein providing the carbon nanotube structure comprises stacking a first carbon nanotube film and a second carbon nanotube film on each other; the first carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotubes joined end to end and arranged along a first direction, and the second carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotubes joined end to end and arranged along a second direction, the second direction different from the first direction.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coating the protective layer on the carbon nanotube structure comprises enclosing each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes by the protective layer.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the protective layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metal, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal carbide, metal sulfide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the protective layer ranges from about 3 nanometers to about 50 nanometers.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises a base and a bulge pattern located on a surface of the base, and the metal layer is deposited on the bulge pattern.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the bulge pattern comprises a plurality of strip-shaped bulges intersecting with each other to form a net and define a plurality of recesses.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of strip-shaped bulges comprises a plurality of first strip-shaped bulges and a plurality of second strip-shaped bulges, the plurality of first strip-shaped bulges are substantially parallel with each other and extends along a first direction, and the plurality of second strip-shaped bulges are substantially parallel with each other and extends along a second direction, the second direction different from the first direction.

11. The carrier of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of strip-shaped bulges has a width ranging from 20 nanometers to 150 nanometers and a height ranging from 50 nanometers to 1000 nanometers, and a distance between adjacent two of the plurality of strip-shaped bulges ranges from 10 nanometers to 300 nanometers.

12. The carrier of claim 8 , wherein the bulge pattern comprises a plurality of block-shaped bulges spaced apart from each other, arranged to form an array, and defines a plurality of grooves.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the metal layer ranges from 2 nanometers to 200 nanometers.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, iron, nickel, and aluminum.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressing the template on the surface of the polymer layer comprises sandwiching a carbon nanotube structure between the template and the polymer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carbon nanotube structure is kept on the second substrate after the removing the template.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the removing the template comprises removing both the template and the carbon nanotube structure from the second substrate.

18. A method for making a carrier for use in single molecule detection, the method comprising:

providing a template, wherein the template comprises a base and a bulge pattern;

coating an initiator laver on the bulge pattern;

immersing the initiator laver in a monomer solution so that a polymer layer is formed on the bulge pattern;

obtaining a first substrate by removing the template; and

applying a metal layer on the first substrate,

wherein a process of making the template comprises:

providing a second substrate;

providing a carbon nanotube composite structure, wherein the carbon nanotube composite structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes intersecting with each other and defining a plurality of openings;

placing the carbon nanotube composite structure on a surface of the second substrate, wherein parts of the surface are exposed from the plurality of openings to form exposed surfaces; and

forming a bulge pattern on the second substrate by dry etching the exposed surfaces using the carbon nanotube composite structure as a mask, wherein the bulge pattern comprises a plurality of strip-shaped bulges intersecting with each other to form a net and define a plurality of recesses.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gold, aluminum, nickel, chromium, copper, glass, quartz, silicon dioxide, or silicon nitride, alumina, magnesia, silicon, gallium nitride, or gallium arsenide.