Electrochemical microsensors and method of making such sensors
First Claim
1. An electrochemical microsensor comprising:
- a substrate containing microelectronic means for sensing potential or current;
a micromachined structure having openings extending into a cavity therein from opposite sides of the structure, wherein said structure has been produced by photolithographic transfer of a two dimensional pattern onto a material to form a three dimensional structure following selective removal of the material; and
wherein the structure containing the cavity has been positioned over the substrate so that an opening into the cavity extends over the sensing means and the cavity containing structure has been adhered to the substrate using a process which simultaneously adheres multiple structures to substrates as a single unit, with an adhesive forming a seal between the substrate and structure at a temperature less than approximately 400°
C.
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Abstract
Electrochemical microsensors formed of a substrate containing means for sensing potential or current, including active and passive electronic devices and electronic circuits, and a micromachined structure containing at least one cavity overlying the sensing means, wherein the structure and substrate are bonded together at a temperature less than about 400° C., in the absence of high voltage fields, using means not requiring highly planarized surfaces. A wide variety of materials can be utilized for both the substrate and overlying structure.
Diverse embodiments are possible, having in common a cavity containing a chemically sensitive material and means for sensing potential or current.
The resulting structural organization of materials transduces a chemical signal, such as concentration, to an electrical signal, which is then "processed" by the underlying FET or metallic connections. The present invention resolves the problems of the prior art in combining sensing devices with chemically sensitive material(s) to form a functional microsensor in a conveniently manufacturable fashion.
463 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An electrochemical microsensor comprising:
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a substrate containing microelectronic means for sensing potential or current; a micromachined structure having openings extending into a cavity therein from opposite sides of the structure, wherein said structure has been produced by photolithographic transfer of a two dimensional pattern onto a material to form a three dimensional structure following selective removal of the material; and wherein the structure containing the cavity has been positioned over the substrate so that an opening into the cavity extends over the sensing means and the cavity containing structure has been adhered to the substrate using a process which simultaneously adheres multiple structures to substrates as a single unit, with an adhesive forming a seal between the substrate and structure at a temperature less than approximately 400°
C. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
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21. A multi-sensor device comprising electrochemical microsensors having
a substrate containing microelectronic means for sensing potential or current; -
a micromachined structure having opening extending into a cavity therein from opposite sides of the structure, wherein said structure has been produces by photolithographic transfer of a two dimensional pattern onto a material to form a three dimensional structure following selective removal of the material, and; wherein the cavity containing-structure has been positioned over the substrate so that an opening into the cavity extends over the sensing means and the cavity containing structure has been adhered to the substrate using a process which simultaneously adheres multiple structures to substrates as a single unit, with an adhesive forming a seal between the substrate and structure at a temperature less than approximately 400°
C.; anda chemically sensitive material within the cavity; wherein the electrochemical microsensors contain materials having chemical sensitivities to different chemical species.
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23. A method for manufacturing a chemical microsensor comprising:
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(i) providing a substrate containing microelectronic means for sensing potential or current; (ii) providing a micromachined structure having openings extending into a cavity therein from opposite sides of the structure, wherein said structure has been produced by photolithographic transfer of a two dimensional pattern onto a material to form a three dimensional structure following selective removal of the material, and; (iii) positioning the structure containing the cavity over the substrate wherein an opening into the cavity extends over the sensing means; and (iv) using a process to adhere the cavity containing structure to the substrate which simultaneously adheres multiple structures to substrates as a single unit, at a temperature less than approximately 400°
C. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification