Device for detecting an analyte in a sample based on organic materials

• US 6,521,109 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum VZW (IMEC International)
• Original Assignee: Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum VZW (IMEC International)
• Inventors: Bartic, Carmen, Poortmans, Jef, Baert, Kris
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOGUEROLA, ALEXANDER STEPHAN
• Application Number:
  US09/660,763
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 204/403, 204/412, 204/416, 204/433, 204/418, 204/419
• US Class Current: 204/403.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/414 Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02118 carbon based polymeric organic or inorganic material, e.g. polyimides, poly cyclobutene or PVC polymers per se C08G, photoresist per se G03F
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02183 the material containing tantalum, e.g. Ta2O5
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02186 the material containing titanium, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02197 the material having a perovskite structure, e.g. BaTiO3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02266 deposition by physical ablation of a target, e.g. sputtering, reactive sputtering, physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31691 with perovskite structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/46 Field-effect transistors, e.g. organic thin-film transistors [OTFT] H10K10/43 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/111 comprising aromatic, heteroaromatic, or aryl chains, e.g. polyaniline, polyphenylene or polyphenylene vinylene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/113 Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/114 Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof

Abstract

A device for detecting an analyte in a sample comprising an active layer comprising at least a dielectric material, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconducting substrate which acts as current pathway between source and drain. The conductivity of said semiconducting layer can be influenced by the interaction of the active layer with the sample containing the analyte to detect. The device is fabricated such that properties like low price, disposability, reduced drift of the device and suitability for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications are obtained. To fulfill these requirements, the device described in this application will be based on organic-containing materials.

Claims

1. A device for detecting an analyte in a sample comprising:

an active layer comprising a dielectric material, wherein said dielectric material is an inorganic containing material with a dielectric constant higher than 10;

a source electrode and a drain electrode; and

a semiconducting layer for providing a current pathway between said source electrode and said drain electrode, wherein said semiconducting layer consists essentially of an organic containing semiconducting material, wherein said dielectric material of said active layer is substantially in contact with said semiconducting layer, and wherein said active layer is arranged to contact said sample and to influence the conductance of said semiconducting layer when in contact with said sample containing said analyte.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said active layer consists essentially of a dielectric layer.

3. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said dielectric material comprises an amorphous metallic material selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, BaTiO₃, Ba_xSr₁₋

xTiO₃, Pb(Zr_xT<sub>1−

x)O3</sub>, Ta₂O₅, SrTiO₃, BaZrO₃, PbTiO₃, LiTaO₃, and Ta₂O₅.

4. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said active layer comprises a dielectric layer.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 wherein said active layer consists essentially of a dielectric layer.

6. A device as recited in claim 4 wherein said dielectric layer comprises an active material arranged to selectively react with said analyte when said device is exposed to said sample containing said analyte.

7. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said active layer consists essentially of said dielectric layer and a membrane layer.

8. A device as recited in claim 7 wherein said membrane layer comprises an active material arranged to selectively react with said analyte when said device is exposed to said sample containing said analyte.

9. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said organic containing semiconducting material comprises a conjugated oligomer or conjugated polymer.

10. A device as recited in claim 9 wherein said organic containing semiconducting material is selected from the group consisting of polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), poly(2,5-thiophene vinylene), polypyrrole, and mixtures thereof.

11. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said source electrode and said drain electrode comprise an organic containing material wherein a surface resistance of said source electrode and said drain electrode is lower than 100 Ω

/sq.

12. A device as recited in claim 1 herein said source electrode and said drain electrode have an interdigitated configuration.

13. A device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

an encapsulating layer to protect said current pathway between said source electrode and said drain electrode; and

a support layer, wherein said encapsulating layer and said support layer are made of an organic containing material.

14. A system for detecting an analyte in a sample, the system comprising a device as recited in claim 1 and a reference field-effect transistor.

15. An array of devices, said array comprising at least one device as recited in claim 1.

16. A device for detecting an analyte in a sample, the device comprising:

an active layer comprising a dielectric material, wherein said dielectric material is an organic containing material;

a source electrode and a drain electrode; and

a semiconducting layer for providing a current pathway between said source electrode and said drain electrode, wherein said semiconducting layer consists essentially of an organic containing semiconducting material, wherein said dielectric material of said active layer is substantially in contact with said semiconducting layer, and wherein said active layer is arranged to contact said sample and to influence the conductance of said semiconducting layer when in contact with said sample containing said analyte.

17. A device as recited in claim 16 wherein said active layer consists essentially of a dielectric layer.

18. A device as recited in claim 16 wherein said dielectric layer comprises an active material arranged to selectively react with said analyte when said device is exposed to said sample containing said analyte.

19. A device as recited in claim 16 wherein said active layer consists essentially of said dielectric layer and a membrane layer.

20. A device as recited in claim 19 wherein said membrane layer comprises an active material arranged to selectively react with said analyte when said device is exposed to said sample containing said analyte.

21. A device as recited in claim 16 wherein said organic containing semiconducting material comprises a conjugated oligomer or conjugated polymer.

22. A device as recited in claim 21 wherein said organic containing semiconducting material is selected from the group consisting of polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), poly(2,5-thiophene vinylene), polypyrrole, and mixtures thereof.

23. A device as recited in claim 16 wherein said source electrode and said drain electrode comprise an organic containing material wherein a surface resistance of said source electrode and said drain electrode is lower than 100 Ω

/sq.

24. A device as recited in claim 23 wherein said source electrode and said drain electrode have an interdigitated configuration.

25. A device as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

an encapsulating layer to protect said current pathway between said source electrode and said drain electrode; and

a support layer, wherein said encapsulating layer and support layer comprise an organic containing material.

26. A system for detecting an analyte in a sample, the system comprising a device as recited in claim 16 and a reference field-effect transistor.

27. An array of devices, said array comprising at least one device as recited in claim 16.