Chemical sensor array having multiple sensors per well

• US 10,458,942 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rothberg, Jonathan M., Fife, Keith G., Bustillo, James, Owens, Jordan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Matthew E.
• Application Number:
  US14/293,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,975 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6874 involving nucleic acid arrays, e.g. sequencing by hybridisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/414 Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4145 specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4148 Integrated circuits therefor, e.g. fabricated by CMOS processing CMOS processing per se H01L21/82
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66825 with a floating gate H01L29/6684 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a device is described. The device includes a material defining a reaction region. The device also includes a plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors have a common floating gate in communication with the reaction region. The device also includes a circuit to obtain respective output signals from the chemically-sensitive field effect transistors indicating an analyte within the reaction region.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a material defining a reaction region, the reaction region having a bottom surface and configured to receive a solution having an analyte;

a plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors having a common floating gate in communication with the reaction region; and

a circuit including a plurality of row lines and a plurality of column lines, a first chemically-sensitive field effect transistor of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors and a second chemically-sensitive field effect transistor of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors responsive to a bias voltage on a row line of the plurality of row lines, in response to the bias voltage on the row line, the first chemically-sensitive field effect transistor providing a first output signal on a first column line and the second chemically-sensitive field effect transistor providing a second output signal on a second column line, each of the first and second output signals indicating a presence of the analyte within the solution;

wherein the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors communicate with a reference electrode and wherein the reference electrode contacts the solution.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the respective floating gate structures include a plurality of conductors electrically coupled to one another and separated by a dielectric layer, and wherein the conductive element is an uppermost conductor in the plurality of conductors.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a width of an uppermost conductive element of the common floating gate is less than a width of the bottom surface of the reaction region.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the reaction region includes an upper surface of a conductive element of the common floating gate.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the conductive element comprises an electrically conductive material, and the upper surface of the conductive element includes an oxide of the electrically conductive material.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors further comprises a respective sensing surface and wherein the sensing surfaces of the chemically-sensitive field effect transistors are defined by one or more conductive elements of the common floating gate.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the sensing surfaces are sensitive to ions.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the analyte is due to a chemical reaction occurring within the reaction region.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors includes a group of at least four chemically-sensitive field effect transistors.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the individual output signals are based on threshold voltages of the respective chemically-sensitive field effect transistors.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a microfluidic structure in fluid flow communication with the reaction region.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of row select transistors, a first row select transistor of the plurality of row select transistors to provide a first voltage signal to the first chemically-sensitive field effect transistor in response to a bias voltage on the row line, a second row select transistor of the plurality of row select transistors to provide a second voltage signal to the second chemically-sensitive field effect transistor in response to a bias voltage on the row line.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a third chemically-sensitive field effect transistor of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors and a fourth chemically-sensitive field effect transistor of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors responsive to a second bias voltage on a second row line of the plurality of row lines, in response to the second bias voltage on the second row line, the third chemically-sensitive field effect transistor providing a third output signal on the first column line and the fourth chemically-sensitive field effect transistor providing a fourth output signal on the second column line, each of the third and fourth output signals indicating a presence of the analyte within the solution.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a group of two or more chemical sensors coupled to a reaction region via a common floating gate, the reaction region configured to receive a solution containing an analyte;

a reference electrode coupled to the group of two or more chemical sensors, the reference electrode configured to contact the solution;

a select circuitry including a row line to select at least two chemical sensors of the two or more chemical sensors;

an output circuit for accessing the group of chemical sensors via a plurality of column lines; and

a controller to;

in response to a bias voltage on the row line, a first chemical sensor of the at least two chemical sensors providing a first output signal on a first column line of the plurality of column lines and the second chemical sensor of the at least two chemical sensors providing a second output signal on a second column line of the plurality of column lines, the first and second output signals indicating a presence of an analyte in the solution; and

calculate a resultant output signal for the group of chemical sensors based on one or more of the first and second output signals.

15. A device comprising:

a plurality of reaction chambers configured to receive a solution;

a plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors, each of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors in communication with one of the plurality of reaction chambers, at least two chemically-sensitive field effect transistors having a common floating gate in communication with one reaction chamber of the plurality of reaction chambers, each of the at least two of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors is responsive to a bias voltage on a row line, a first of the at least two of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors coupled to a first column output line, a second of the at least of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors coupled to a second column output line different from the first column output line, the first and second column output lines providing the separate output signals to a column output circuitry of a circuit;

the circuit to obtain the separate output signals via first and second column output lines from at least two of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors when a chemical reaction is detected proximal to a corresponding reaction chamber, the chemical reaction to indicate a presence of an analyte within the corresponding reaction chamber; and

a reference electrode to communicate with at least two of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors, the reference electrode configured to contact the solution.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of row select transistors coupled to the row line, a first row select transistor of the plurality of row select transistors to provide a first source voltage to the first of the least two of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors in response to the bias voltage on the row line, a second row select transistor of the plurality of row select transistors to provide a second source voltage to the second of the least two of the plurality of chemically-sensitive field effect transistors in response to the bias voltage on the row line.