Chemically sensitive JFET transducer devices utilizing a blocking interface
First Claim
1. A chemical sensitive junction field-effect transistor transducer for detecting chemical properties of substances to which said transducer is exposed comprising:
- (a) a substrate material;
(b) a semiconductor layer having a doping polarity located at an upper surface of said substrate material, said doping polarity enabling an electrical current to flow through said layer;
(c) means for electrically connecting spaced apart regions of said semiconductor layer to an external voltage source, thereby allowing an electrical current to flow from said voltage source to a first of said spaced apart regions through a first of said electrical connecting means, through said semiconductor layer to a second of said spaced apart regions, and from said second spaced apart region through a second of said electrical connecting means back to said external voltage source;
(d) a blocking interface overlying that portion of said semiconductor layer that lies between said spaced apart regions and through which said electrical current flows, said blocking interface being adapted to interact with said substance so as to generate an electrical potential at said interface whose strength is a measure of selected chemical properties of said substance, said blocking interface having no insulating layer as a part thereof;
(e) a reference electrode connected in circuit relationship with said semiconductor layer through a second external voltage source such that a potential is created and added to the electric potential generated at said blocking interface, thus creating a resultant electric field that affects the conductivity of said semiconductor layer as a measure of the chemical properties of said substances by modulating the thickness of a depletion layer in the upper surface of said semiconductor layer which is void of free charge carriers, said depletion layer having a thickness related to said resultant electric field.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A chemically sensitive junction field effect transistor transducer capable of selectively detecting and measuring chemical properties of substances to which the transducer is exposed. The transducer includes a substrate material, a semiconductor layer having a doping polarity laid over the surface of the substrate, a "source" contact connected to one part of the semiconductor layer, a "drain" contact connected to another part, and a chemically sensitive blocking interface gate structure overlying the upper surface of that portion of the semiconductor layer between the source and drain contacts. The gate structure is adapted to interact with selected chemical substances in the substance being tested and to produce an electric field in relation to the presence, concentration, or activity thereof. This electric field, in turn, causes a modulation of the depletion region in the semiconductor layer that affects the conductivity thereof, and hence the amount of source-drain current that can flow through the transducer. The gate structure also serves as a blocking interface and prevents current from flowing through the gate structure. The chemically sensitive blocking interface gate structure may include numerous configurations and materials adapted for sensing various chemical or biochemical properties.
28 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A chemical sensitive junction field-effect transistor transducer for detecting chemical properties of substances to which said transducer is exposed comprising:
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(a) a substrate material; (b) a semiconductor layer having a doping polarity located at an upper surface of said substrate material, said doping polarity enabling an electrical current to flow through said layer; (c) means for electrically connecting spaced apart regions of said semiconductor layer to an external voltage source, thereby allowing an electrical current to flow from said voltage source to a first of said spaced apart regions through a first of said electrical connecting means, through said semiconductor layer to a second of said spaced apart regions, and from said second spaced apart region through a second of said electrical connecting means back to said external voltage source; (d) a blocking interface overlying that portion of said semiconductor layer that lies between said spaced apart regions and through which said electrical current flows, said blocking interface being adapted to interact with said substance so as to generate an electrical potential at said interface whose strength is a measure of selected chemical properties of said substance, said blocking interface having no insulating layer as a part thereof; (e) a reference electrode connected in circuit relationship with said semiconductor layer through a second external voltage source such that a potential is created and added to the electric potential generated at said blocking interface, thus creating a resultant electric field that affects the conductivity of said semiconductor layer as a measure of the chemical properties of said substances by modulating the thickness of a depletion layer in the upper surface of said semiconductor layer which is void of free charge carriers, said depletion layer having a thickness related to said resultant electric field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A multi-sensor chemically sensitive junction field effect transistor (JFET) for detecting chemical properties of substances to which said transducer is exposed comprising
(a) a substrate material; -
(b) a plurality of independent semiconductor layers having a doping polarity located at an upper surface of said substrate material; (c) means for electrically connecting spaced apart regions of each of said independent semiconductor layers to an external voltage source, thereby allowing electrical current to flow to, through, and from each of said semiconductor layers; (d) a plurality of chemical sensitive blocking interfaces, one of which overlies that portion of each of said plurality of semiconductor layers that lies between said spaced apart regions and through which said electrical current flows, each of said blocking interfaces being adapted to interact with said substances so as to generate an electric potential at said interfaces whose strength is a measure of selected chemical properties of said substances, each of said blocking interfaces having no insulating layer as a part thereof; (e) a reference electrode connected in circuit relationship with each of said semiconductor layers through a second external voltage source such that a potential is created and added to the electric potential generated at each of said blocking interfaces, a resultant electric field that affects the conductivity of each of said semiconductor layers as a measure of the chemical properties of said substances by inducing a depletion layer in the upper surface of each of said semiconductor layers which is void of free charge carriers, said depletion layer having a thickness proportional to said resultant electric field. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of configuring a chemical sensitive junction field effect transistor (JFET) transducer comprising a substrate, a doped semiconductor layer on the surface of said substrate, conductive material electrically connected to a pair of spaced apart areas on said semiconductor layer, one of said areas being designated the drain and the other being designated the source, a blocking interface overlying that portion of said semiconductor layer lying between said spaced apart means, and a reference electrode connected in circuit relationship with said semiconductor layer, said chemical sensitive JFET configuration method being adapted to force electrical current flowing between the source and drain to flow under said blocking interface, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) configuring a shaped semiconductor layer, such as a circle, on the upper surface of said substrate; (b) connecting a conductive material, such as a wire, to the center of said shaped semiconductor layer, said center serving as the source of said transducer; (c) connecting other conductive material around the perimeter of said shaped semiconductor layer, said perimeter serving as the drain of said transducer; and (d) configuring said blocking interface in a symmetrical fashion above the area of said semiconductor layer that lies between said source and drain.
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Specification