DNA Self‐Assembly on Lithographic Patterns: Fabrication Methods

The combination of structural DNA nanotechnology and lithographic surface patterning has recently advanced from proof‐of‐principle demonstrations to device‐relevant applications, including field‐effect transistors, prototypical photodiodes, plasmonic metasurfaces, quantum light sources, dynamic nanomachines, and single‐molecule sensor arrays where molecular devices are patterned on the sub‐micrometer scale. Recent advances now allow the deterministic placement of DNA nanostructures of varying geometries, sizes, and complexities onto chip surfaces, as well as subsequent on‐surface assembly into hierarchical architectures. In this review, we summarize fabrication strategies for DNA self‐assembly on lithographically patterned substrates, focusing on two main areas: (i) methods for designing and depositing DNA nanostructures and enabling surface self‐assembly, and (ii) techniques for fabricating patterned surfaces through lithography and chemical functionalization. We then highlight advances across optoelectronics, quantum technologies, and biotechnology, identify key remaining challenges, and conclude with a perspective on how the combination of DNA nanotechnology and lithography may provide a foundation for next‐generation nanoscale devices.