Encapsulated chemoresponsive microelectronic device arrays

• US 4,502,938 A
• Filed: 04/08/1982
• Issued: 03/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CIBA Vision Corporation (Novartis Ag)
• Original Assignee: Corning Glass Works (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Covington, Arthur K., Sibbald, Alastair
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, T.
• Application Number:
  US06/366,722
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 204/403, 204/416, 204/418, 204/419, 204/412, 357/23 R, 357/23 MA, 357/25, 357/71
• US Class Current: 204/412
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/414 Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/02 using elements whose operation depends upon chemical change G11C13/0009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/56 Encapsulations, e.g. encapsulation layers, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/451 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron (B), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te) and polonium (Po), and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4823 connecting the wire to a pin of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/293 Organic, e.g. plastic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3157 Partial encapsulation or coating mask layer used as insulation layer H01L21/31
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3192 Multilayer coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/513 the variation being perpendicular to the channel plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/518 the insulating material containing nitrogen, e.g. nitride, oxynitride, nitrogen-doped material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0102 : Calcium [Ca]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 : Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making

Abstract

The invention provides a chemical-responsive field-effect transducer operating in depletion-mode, or enhancement/depletion-mode, comprising: a semiconductor material having a pair of adjacent diffusion regions (1,2) of a certain doping polarity located at the surface and separated by a channel (3) of the same doping polarity, said channel being created by diffusion, ion-implantation, epitaxial growth, or creation of a surface inversion layer by controlled processing techniques or other means. The diffusion regions and channel region are supported by an insulating substrate (4) or semiconductor substrate of opposite polarity. Electrical insulator (6) and/or ion-barrier material (7) overlies the aforementioned channel region. An electroactive material (10) overlies said insulator and/or ion-barrier, such that the electroactive material will interact with substances to which it is exposed and control the charge-carrier density in the aforementioned channel.

Such devices form the basis of a variety of assemblies, including flow-injection-analysis sensors, and flow-through cuvettes suitable for the continuous or intermittent on-line monitoring of blood, ex-vivo, in the clinical environment.

Claims

1. An array of chemical-responsive field-effect transducers adapted to operate in a mode selected from depletion-mode and enhancement/depletion-mode, comprising:

a chip of semiconductor material having at least three pairs of adjacent, triangular diffusion regions of a certain doping polarity located at the surface, each said pair of diffusion regions being separated by a channel of the same doping polarity, at least one material selected from electrical insulator material and ion-barrier material overlying each of the aforementioned channel regions;

an elongated rectangular coating of electroactive material overlying each said insulator and/or ion barrier, such that the electroactive material will interact with substances to which it is exposed and control the charge-carrier density in the aforementioned channel, each said pair of diffusion regions and associated channel region being symmetrically oriented about a common point on said chip, said elongated coatings extending radially from said common point, and a coating of polymeric material encapsulating the surface of said chip except for a circular region about said point which includes said plurality of pairs of diffusion regions.