ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews a technique for fabricating supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) on solid surfaces. Specifically, a technique is described that uses a self-spreading phenomenon whereby lipid molecules spontaneously form a SLB at a solid-liquid interface. A way is also presented for achieving positional and directional control of a self-spreading lipid bilayer by using surface patterns. A new type of microchannel device using the self-spreading lipid bilayer as a molecule carrier is proposed and demonstrated by observing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The interactions of a self-spreading lipid bilayer with a single nanogap structure are also described.
