Biosensor devices, systems and methods therefor

• US 9,945,807 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Baghbani-Parizi, Kosar, Nishi, Yoshio, Esfandyarpour, Hesaam
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Caleb
• Application Number:
  US14/936,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20160077049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 438 49, 257253
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4145 specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/26513 of electrically active species
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/84 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. being an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1203 the substrate comprising an insulating body on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI three-dimensional layout H01L27/0688

Abstract

A sensing apparatus for sensing target materials including biological or chemical molecules in a fluid. One such apparatus includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure having an electrically-insulating layer, a fluidic channel supported by the SOI structure and configured and arranged to receive and pass a fluid including the target materials, and a semiconductor device including at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions doped to exhibit a common polarity. The semiconductor regions include a sandwiched region sandwiched between two of the other semiconductor regions, and configured and arranged adjacent to the fluidic channel with a surface directed toward the fluidic channel for coupling to the target materials in the fluidic channel, and further arranged for responding to a bias voltage. The sensing apparatus also includes an amplification circuit in or on the SOI and that is arranged to facilitate sensing of the target material near the fluidic channel.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sensing a target material, the method comprising:

patterning at least one semiconductor device onto a silicon substrate, wherein the at least one semiconductor device includes at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions and end electrodes;

doping the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions to exhibit a common polarity, wherein the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions include a sandwich region sandwiched between two of the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions, and wherein the two of the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions are doped at a higher concentration than the sandwiched region and are electrically connected to the end electrodes; and

defining a location, on the silicon substrate, for a fluidic channel under the at least one semiconductor device, wherein the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions are configured and arranged adjacent to the fluidic channel with a surface directed toward the fluidic channel for coupling to the target material in a fluid in the fluidic channel, and for responding to a change in potential attributable to the target material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining a location for a fluidic channel under the at least one semiconductor device includes etching a portion of the silicon substrate located under the at least one semiconductor device to define the location for the fluidic channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the silicon substrate is a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure including an electrically-insulating layer and wherein etching the portion includes etching a channel within the electrically-insulating layer with a depth of a thickness of buried oxide.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein etching includes performing a lithography process.

5. The method of claim 1, further including etching a silicon area around the at least one semiconductor device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein etching the silicon area includes performing a dry etch process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon substrate includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure including an electrically-insulating layer, the method further including wet etching the buried oxide of the SOI structure.

8. The method of claim 1, further including forming the fluidic channel by bonding a fluidic structure to the silicon substrate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the silicon substrate include a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure including an electrically-insulating layer and forming the fluidic channel includes placing and bonding the fluidic structure such that the fluidic channel is defined by a portion of an upper-facing surface of the electrically-insulating layer of the SOI structure with the defined location for the fluidic channel and by a bottom-facing surface of the fluidic structure.

10. The method of claim 1, further including forming at least two electrodes, on the silicon substrate, configured and arranged to pass current for facilitating electrophoretic flow or electroosmotic flow of the fluid through the fluidic channel.

11. The method of claim 10, further including implanting boron at the end of the semiconductor regions for ohmic contact to the at least two electrodes.

12. The method of claim 10, further including adding an amplification circuit supported by the silicon substrate and configured and arranged to facilitate sensing the target material near or in the fluidic channel, wherein in response to the potential resulting from the target material in the fluidic channel, the at least one semiconductor device is configured and arranged to sense the presence of the target material in the fluidic channel in response to the flow of electrons in a conducting mode from one end electrode to another end electrode.

13. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sensing a target material, the method comprising:

patterning at least one semiconductor device onto a silicon substrate, wherein the at least one semiconductor device includes at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions and end electrodes;

doping the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions to exhibit a common polarity, wherein the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions includes a sandwiched region sandwiched between two of the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions, wherein the two of the at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions are doped at a higher concentration than the sandwiched region and are electrically connected to the end electrodes;

defining a location, on the silicon substrate for a fluidic channel under the at least one semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor regions are configured and arranged adjacent to the fluidic channel with a surface directed toward the fluidic channel for coupling to the target material in a fluid in the fluidic channel, and for responding to a change in potential attributable to the target material; and

forming the fluidic channel by bonding a fluidic structure of the fluidic channel to the silicon substrate such that the fluidic channel is defined by a portion of an upper-facing surface of the silicon substrate and by a bottom-facing surface of the fluidic structure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the fluidic channel further includes:

pouring a material into a mold to form the fluidic structure; and

once solidified, separating the fluidic structure from the mold.

15. The method of claim 14, further including exposing the fluidic structure to oxygen plasma.

16. The method of claim 13, further including placing the apparatus in a heating device for a period of time to adhere the fluidic structure to the silicon substrate.

17. The method of claim 13, further including:

forming at least two electrodes, on the silicon substrate, configured and arranged to pass current for facilitating electrophoretic flow or electroosmotic flow of the fluid through the fluidic channel; and

forming an amplification circuit supported by the silicon substrate and configured and arranged to facilitate sensing the target material near or in the fluidic channel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein in response to the potential resulting from the target material in the fluidic channel, the at least one semiconductor device is configured and arranged to sense the presence of the target material in the fluidic channel in response to the flow of electrons in a conducting mode from one end electrode of the end electrodes to another end electrode of the end electrodes.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the target material includes biological molecules.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the target material includes chemical molecules.