Integrated quartz biological sensor and method

• US 7,884,930 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Kubena, Randall Lynn, Kirby, Deborah Janice
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nur; Abdullahi
• Application Number:
  US12/145,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20090147254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 356/72, 356/73, 356/301, 438/49, 438 22- 29, 438/32, 438/33, 438/48, 438/57, 438/64, 438/68, 438/74, 438/83, 438/98, 438106-108, 438/116, 257/E21.002, 250/336, 250/389, 250/287, 250/306, 250/425
• US Class Current: 356/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes

Abstract

A sensor integrates a quartz nanoresonator for mass detection and SERS for optical detection in a same cavity on a chip for redundancy in the detection of a species.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mass detector disposed within a cavity to detect a sample in said cavity; and

an optical Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) detector disposed within said cavity to detect said sample.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising two wafers disposed to define the cavity therebetween.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mass detector is a quartz resonator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mass detector is formed from a quartz substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface;

the quartz substrate further comprising

at least a first and second electrode;

at least one tuning pad;

at least one via, and

a diffraction grating coated with a dichroic filter,

wherein the first electrode is on the first surface and the second electrode is on the second surface, and the at least one via connects the first electrode and the second electrode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical SERS detector comprises:

a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), wherein the VCSEL comprises;

a lower metal contact;

a first distributed Bragg reflector (DBR);

an active layer comprised of one or more quantum wells;

a second DBR and an upper metal contact;

the apparatus further comprising;

an integrated beamsplitter and lens assembly coated with dichroic filter, wherein the dichroic filter is comprised of thin films of varying refractive indices;

a diffraction grating, and

a detector array coated with a holographically formed filter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the VCSEL further comprises an n-type substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising microfluidic channels connected to the mass detector for delivery of detection molecules.

8. A method for fabricating the apparatus of claim 1 comprising:

providing a first cavity and a second cavity;

providing a mass detector to the first cavity, and

providing an optical SERS detector to the first and second cavity.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 for use in detecting biological species.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mass detector includes a resonator with an antibody coating disposed thereon.

11. A method for fabricating a sensor comprising the steps of:

providing a quartz substrate;

providing at least one electrode and at least one tuning pad to the quartz substrate;

providing a silicon handle wafer having a cavity etched therein;

bonding the silicon handle wafer to the quartz substrate;

thinning the quartz substrate;

metallizing the quartz substrate;

providing a silicon base wafer;

providing a diffraction grating to the silicon base wafer;

metallizing the silicon base wafer;

bonding the quartz substrate to the silicon base wafer and subsequently removing the silicon handle wafer, thereby producing a resonator;

removing quartz from the resonator thus obtaining a modified resonator;

providing a cap silicon wafer having a cavity etched therein;

proving a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) on the cap wafer;

proving an integrated beamsplitter and lens assembly to the top surface of the cap wafer;

providing a lens to the top surface of the cap silicon wafer;

providing a detector array on the cavity of the cap wafer;

inverting the cap wafer, and

bonding the inverted cap wafer to the modified resonator.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the quartz substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface;

wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode and a second electrode;

the first electrode is positioned on the first surface of the quartz substrate and the second electrode is positioned on the second surface of the quartz substrate,

and

the quartz substrate further comprises at least one via, wherein the least one via connects the first electrode to the second electrode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the silicon handle wafer is bonded to the first surface of the quartz substrate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second surface of the quartz substrate is bonded to the silicon base wafer.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of coating said diffraction grating with a dichroic filter.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing at least one via through the cavity of the cap silicon wafer.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing a holographically formed filter coat to the detector array.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of coating the modified resonator with antibodies.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the antibodies are provided by way of at least one microfluidic channel.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the antibodies are provided by submerging the modified resonator into solution.

21. The apparatus made by the method of claim 11 for use in detecting biological species.