传感器类型
场效应晶体管(FET)生物传感器
检测对象
pH(H+,溶液/细胞培养液)、细胞附着与增殖(cell attachment/proliferation,细胞培养液)
检测原理
该芯片通过两类传感机制实现监测。pH检测中,溶液中的H+与ISFET栅极传感氧化层表面作用,改变界面电荷分布和阈值电压;CMOS ISFET将pH变化转换为栅压/电流变化,互补ISFET/MOSFET读出电路消除体效应,经OTA放大器输出与pH相关的电信号。细胞检测中,细胞在IDES表面附着、增殖,改变叉指电极间介电环境和边缘电容,从而引起阻抗/电容变化;电荷放大器将电容变化转换为电压,读出电路输出随细胞量变化的信号。系统未采用酶或核酸放大,主要依靠CMOS电路放大与微流控封装实现低噪声读出。
检测灵敏度
原文未报告LOD、线性范围、灵敏度斜率或相关系数。
效应效果
论文目前主要报告芯片设计与读出电路初步电气表征,未给出生物样品选择性、稳定性、重现性、加标回收率或与ELISA/HPLC/qPCR等方法的对比。放大器测得增益48 dB、带宽1.65 kHz、CMRR 72 dB,表明电路具备一定低噪声和高共模抑制能力。设计上将传感区置于芯片中心,边缘连接用环氧密封,结合柔性PCB倒装键合和PDMS微流控,使芯片可直接暴露于细胞培养液并控制液体接触。作者主张该系统可构建反馈式细胞微环境控制平台,提高细胞行为研究精度。
传感器的构成
- 基底/换能器:0.5 µm CMOS芯片(3金属层、2多晶硅层、5 V工艺),集成ISFET、IDES与读出电路
- pH识别/换能层:CMOS ISFET(PMOS/NMOS)及栅极传感氧化层,接触溶液后阈值电压随H+浓度变化
- 参考电极:Ag/AgCl线或后处理金属沉积,为ISFET pH测量提供参考电位
- 细胞传感层:顶层金属IDES或后处理金IDES,细胞附着/增殖改变边缘电容或介电环境
- 读出电路:宽摆幅OTA放大器、电荷放大器、MOS-双极伪电阻和带隙基准测试结构,用于信号放大与参考
- 封装连接层:柔性PCB(Pyralux AC182500R,聚酰亚胺/铜)、焊料倒装键合和环氧,隔离电气连接并防短路
- 微流控层:SU-8光刻模板与多层PDMS通道/气动阀,形成培养区并控制液体接触传感区
中文摘要
本文设计了一种尺寸为1.5 mm×3 mm的CMOS芯片,用于监测芯片上细胞培养。芯片采用0.5 µm CMOS工艺制造,具有3层金属、2层多晶硅,为5 V工艺。芯片集成了离子敏感场效应晶体管(ISFET)以及带读出电路的ISFET,用于监测置于芯片上方溶液的pH。利用工艺顶层金属制作叉指电极结构(IDES),通过阻抗/电容变化检测细胞附着与增殖,并包含IDES读出电路和测试结构。芯片还包含测试放大器、带隙基准测试结构和后处理连接。为适应直接暴露于细胞培养环境的封装,传感区被布置在芯片中心,边缘连接可用环氧等材料密封以防短路。放大器初步电气表征显示增益为48 dB、带宽为1.65 kHz、共模抑制比(CMRR)为72 dB。论文还提出基于柔性PCB基底的封装方法。
英文摘要
A 1.5 mm × 3 mm CMOS chip with sensors for monitoring on-chip cell cultures has been designed. The chip is designed in a 0.5 µm CMOS process which has 3 metal layers and 2 poly layers and is a 5 volt process. The chip contains ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs), as well as ISFETs with read-out circuitry, for monitoring the pH of solutions placed on top of the chip. Interdigitated electrode structures (IDESs) are made using the top metal of the process to be used for sensing cellular attachment and proliferation via impendence. IDES read-out circuits and IDES test structures are included. The chip also contains test amplifiers, bandgap reference test structures, and connections for post-processing. We designed the chip to accommodate packaging into an environment where it will be directly exposed to a cell culture environment. Specifically we designed the chip to have the incorporated sensors near the center of the chip allowing for connections made around the edge of the chip to be sealed off using an epoxy or similar material to prevent shorting. Preliminary electrical characterization results for our amplifier indicate a gain of 48 dB, a bandwidth of 1.65 kHz, and a common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of 72 dB. We also present a packaging technique using a flexible pcb substrate.