Measuring cell and measuring field comprising measuring cells of this type, use of a measuring and use of a measuring field

• US 7,084,641 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Koren, Ivo, Thewes, Roland, Paulus, Christian, Eversmann, Bjorn-Oliver, Brederlow, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Deb, Anjan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoai-An D.
• Application Number:
  US10/754,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 324/658, 324/649, 324/600, 324/348, 324/410, 324/71.5, 324/72, 324/425, 324/435, 324/464, 324/465, 204400-435
• US Class Current: 324/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4148 Integrated circuits therefor, e.g. fabricated by CMOS processing CMOS processing per se H01L21/82
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48728 Investigating individual cells, e.g. by patch clamp, voltage clamp investigating individual particles in general G01N15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 27/024 using a capacitive memory element G11C27/04 takes precedence

Abstract

A measuring cell for recording an electrical potential of an analyte situated on the measuring cell. The measuring cell has a sensor, a layer arranged above the sensor and electrically insulating the analyte from the sensor, and an amplifier circuit connected to the sensor on a substrate and having an input stage containing a field-effect transistor or a bipolar transistor, the sensor being at least indirectly connected to a control terminal of the field-effect transistor or of the bipolar transistor. An operating point of the amplifier circuit is set by means of a voltage or a current applied at the control terminal of the field-effect transistor or of the bipolar transistor of the input stage of the amplifier circuit.

Claims

1. A measuring cell for recording an electrical potential of an analyte situated on the measuring cell, comprising:

a sensor being electrically insulated from the analyte; and

an amplifier circuit connected to the sensor on a substrate and having an input stage containing a field-effect transistor or a bipolar transistor, the sensor being at least indirectly connected to a control terminal of the field-effect transistor or of the bipolar transistor,

wherein an operating point of the amplifier circuit is set by means of a voltage or a current applied at the control terminal of the field-effect transistor or of the bipolar transistor of the input stage of the amplifier circuit.

2. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit is configured in single-stage fashion.

3. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit is configured in multi-stage fashion.

4. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit has a feedback via which the voltage or the current is applied at the input stage of the amplifier circuit.

5. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 4, wherein the feedback is one of a first controllable switch, a low-pass filter, and a unit for externally storing an operating voltage.

6. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first load element provided to set the operating point of the field-effect transistor or of the bipolar transistor; and

a controllable switch connecting the control terminal of the field-effect transistor or of the bipolar transistor to the drain or the collector of the transistor, wherein the drain or the collector of the transistor is connected to a first supply potential via the first load element.

7. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transistor is a field-effect transistor operated in a common-source connection.

8. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transistor is a bipolar transistor operated in a common-emitter connection.

9. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transistor contains subtransistors connected in a Darlington circuit.

10. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first load element is a nonreactive resistor.

11. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first load element is a transistor.

12. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the load of the first load element is adjustable.

14. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first load element is arranged outside the substrate.

15. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first controllable switch is a transistor.

16. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first controllable switch is arranged on the substrate.

17. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a measuring operating phase for measuring a potential of a sample, during which the first controllable switch is opened; and

a setting operating phase for setting the operating point of the amplifier circuit, during which the first controllable switch is closed.

18. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a first load element connecting the control terminal of the transistor to the drain or the collector of the transistor.

19. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a first load element connecting the control terminal of the transistor to the first supply potential; and

a second load element connecting the control terminal of the transistor to a second supply potential.

20. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first load element and/or the second load element are arranged on the substrate.

21. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate at least has terminals for a first supply potential, a second supply potential, and an electrical output signal.

22. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 5, wherein a second controllable switch is connected to the drain or the collector of the transistor.

23. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 18, wherein a second controllable switch is arranged between the drain or the collector of the transistor and the load element.

24. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 22, wherein the second controllable switch is arranged on the substrate.

25. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor contains a field-effect transistor having gate, source and drain, and the sample is arranged above the gate during a measuring operation and the gate electrical potential is coupled to a channel current of the field-effect transistor between the source and the drain.

26. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor contains a pH-sensitive layer.

27. The measuring cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor contains a substance-selective membrane.

28. A measuring array having a plurality of measuring cells as claimed in claim 1 provided on the substrate.

29. The measuring array as claimed in claim 28, wherein the plurality of measuring cells are arranged in rows and columns on the substrate.

30. The measuring array as claimed in claim 29, wherein the substrate includes a common source connecting line for connecting the source or the emitter terminals of one of either the cell rows or the cell columns.

31. The measuring array as claimed in claim 30, further comprising a common source connecting line provided for each of the cell rows or the cell columns, wherein the substrate includes a terminal for each of the common source connecting lines.

32. The measuring array as claimed in claim 29, wherein the substrate includes a common control line for controlling switches of one of either the cell columns or the cell rows.

33. The measuring array as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a common control line provided for each of the cell columns or the cell rows, wherein the substrate includes a terminal for each of the common control lines.

34. The measuring array as claimed in claim 30, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of first common control lines for controlling switches either of the respective cell rows or of the respective cell columns.

35. The measuring array as claimed in claim 34, further comprising a second common control line provided for each of the cell rows or the cell columns, wherein the substrate includes a terminal for each of the second common control lines.

36. The measuring array as claimed in claim 30, wherein the substrate includes a common load-side supply line for connecting load elements of one of either the cell columns or the cell rows.

37. The measuring array as claimed in claim 36, further comprising a common load-side supply line provided for each of the cell columns or the cell rows, wherein the substrate includes a terminal for each of the load-side supply lines.

38. The measuring array as claimed in claim 30, further comprising a diode connected to the drain or the collector of the transistor in each of the measuring cells, wherein the substrate contains a common connecting line for connecting all the diodes of one of either the cell columns or of the cell rows.

39. The measuring array as claimed in claim 38, further comprising:

a common connecting line in each of the cell columns or the cell rows, wherein the substrate includes a first terminal for each of the connecting lines; and

a load element arranged outside the substrate for each of the cell columns or for each of the cell rows, wherein each of the load elements is connected to the terminal of a respective one of the common connecting lines,

wherein the substrate includes a second terminal for tapping off an electrical output signal for each of the common connecting lines.

40. The measuring array as claimed in claim 28, wherein the sensors of at least two different measuring cells are designed for detecting different parameters or substances of the sample.

41. The measuring array as claimed in claim 28, wherein the measuring cells form the bottom of a well which receives the sample during measuring operation.

42. The measuring array as claimed in claim 28, having a channel above the measuring cells for receiving the sample during measuring operation.

43. The use of a measuring cell as claimed in claim 1 for applying an electrical potential to a sample by the application of an electrical signal to the amplifier circuit.

44. The use of a measuring array as claimed in claim 28 for applying electrical potentials to a sample in a spatially resolved manner by the application of electrical signals to the amplifier circuits of the individual measuring cells.

45. A measuring array having a plurality of measuring cells as claimed in claim 22 provided on the substrate, wherein the plurality of measuring cells are arranged in rows and columns on the substrate, and wherein the substrate includes a common source connecting line for connecting the source or the emitter terminals of one of either the cell rows or the cell columns.

46. The measuring array as claimed in claim 45, wherein the substrate includes a common output line for connecting the second controllable switches of one of either the cell columns or of the cell rows.

47. The measuring array as claimed in claim 46, further comprising a common output line provided for each of the cell columns or the cell rows, wherein the substrate includes a terminal for each of the output lines.

48. A measuring array having a plurality of measuring cells as claimed in claim 23 provided on the substrate, wherein the plurality of measuring cells are arranged in rows and columns on the substrate, and wherein the substrate includes a common source connecting line for connecting the source or the emitter terminals of one of either the cell rows or the cell columns.

49. The measuring array as claimed in claim 48, wherein the substrate contains a common connecting line for connecting the second controllable switches of one of either the cell columns or of the cell rows.

50. The measuring array as claimed in claim 49, further comprising a common connecting line provided for each of the cell columns or the cell rows, wherein the substrate includes a first terminal for each of the connecting lines, and a load element is arranged outside the substrate for each of the cell columns or for each of the cell rows and is connected to the terminal of the respective common connecting line, and wherein the substrate includes a further terminal for tapping off an electrical output signal for each of the common connecting lines.

13. The measuring cell as claimed in 6, wherein the first load element is arranged on the substrate.