Electrical Conductivity Measurement of DNA Double-Stranded Chains by 'One-by-One' Cutting Method Using Atomic Force Microscopy

We measured the electrical current-voltage characteristics of λDNA in vacuum using fine electrodes with a gap of about 200 nm. It was found that the electrical resistance of λDNA molecules between the fine electrodes had a large variation: from 7.8 MΩ to values larger than 1 TΩ. This was consistent with the controversial results given in previous reports. The temperature dependence of conductivity was explained well by the Arrhenius equation. In addition, the conductivity of a single molecule of double-stranded λDNA was measured by a “one-by-one” cutting method using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The conductivity was determined to be 3×10 1 S/cm, which is about the same order as that of semiconductors.