Method for treating a semiconductor device

• US 10,527,580 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ball, James A., Reed, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Carrillo, Sharidan
• Application Number:
  US16/045,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20180328883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/08 the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect substances used, see the relevant classes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/08 Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/162 containing Si
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3418 Toluene -, xylene -, cumene -, benzene - or naphthalene sulfonates or sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/43 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/34 containing sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5013 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5022 containing oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5027 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4145 specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors

Abstract

A sensor array includes a plurality of sensors. A sensor of the plurality of sensors has a sensor pad exposed at a surface of the sensor array. A method of treating the sensor array includes exposing at least the sensor pad to a wash solution including sulfonic acid and an organic solvent and rinsing the wash solution from the sensor pad.

Claims

1. A method of treating a sensor array, the sensor array including a plurality of sensors, a sensor of the plurality of the sensors including a sensor pad, a well structure defining a well array having a plurality of wells, a well of the plurality of wells disposed over each sensor of the sensor array and providing an opening to the sensor pad, the method comprising:

applying a wash solution to the well and at least the sensor pad and waiting for a first period between 30 seconds and 30 minutes, the wash solution including an acid and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of non-polar and polar aprotic organic solvents;

rinsing at least the sensor pad with an alcohol having a normal boiling point in a range of 25°

C. to 100°

C.; and

drying the sensor array.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising rinsing with water following rinsing with the alcohol and prior to drying.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a cap over the sensor array and the well array, the cap including a fluid port, a space defined between the cap and the well array in fluid communication with the fluid port.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acid includes sulfonic acid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acid includes dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acid includes para toluene sulfonic acid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wash solution includes between 10 mM and 500 mM of the acid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent has a normal boiling point in a range of 36°

C. to 345°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is a non-polar organic solvent comprising an alkane having between 6 and 24 carbons.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the polar aprotic solvent includes tetrahydrofuran, ethylacetate, acetone, dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the sensor pad and the wash solution while exposing the sensor pad to the wash solution at a temperature in a range of 35°

C. to 70°

C.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing at least the sensor pad to a basic solution following exposing the sensor pad to the wash solution.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein rinsing includes rinsing with the alcohol having a normal boiling point in a range of 50°

C. to 100°

C.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the sulfonic acid includes alkyl sulfonic acid, alkyl aryl sulfonic acid, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the alkyl aryl sulfonic acid includes an alkyl group having between 1 and 20 carbons.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the alkyl group has between 9 and 18 carbons.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the alkyl group has between 1 and 6 carbons.