Biochip technology has emerged from the fusion of biotechnology and micro/nanofabrication technology. Biochips enable us to realize revolutionary new bioanalysis, systems that can directly manipulate and analyze the micro/nano-scale world of biomolecules, organelles and cells. This paper describes a few bioanalysis systems and the microfabrication technology being developed as examples of the application of plasma technologies for upcoming nanobiotechnology. Deep dry etching of glass plates has been developed and applied to fabricate microfluidic devices that can manipulate biological cells. Moreover, ultra-high-rate localized etching of silicon wafers has been developed using a microplasma jet apparatus for rapid micromachining. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.