Chemically-sensitive field effect transistors, systems, and methods for manufacturing and using the same
Inventors
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Assignees
MemberParagrafParagrafParagraf specializes in the development and manufacture of wafer-scale, silicon-compatible graphene electronic devices and sensors. Utilizing a proprietary process for direct, contamination-free graphene synthesis, the company delivers scalable solutions for magnetic field sensing, molecular and biosensing, and advanced electronics integration. These technologies address challenges in cryogenics, quantum computing, automotive, aerospace, environmental monitoring, and healthcare. With a focus on large-scale integration of 2D materials, Paragraf advances next-generation sensors and components for demanding and extreme environments.
Paragraf specializes in the development and manufacture of wafer-scale, silicon-compatible graphene electronic devices and sensors. Utilizing a proprietary process for direct, contamination-free graphene synthesis, the company delivers scalable solutions for magnetic field sensing, molecular and biosensing, and advanced electronics integration. These technologies address challenges in cryogenics, quantum computing, automotive, aerospace, environmental monitoring, and healthcare. With a focus on large-scale integration of 2D materials, Paragraf advances next-generation sensors and components for demanding and extreme environments.
Publication Number
US-11536722-B2
Publication Date
2022-12-27
Expiration Date
Abstract
An apparatus includes a biosensor integrated circuit (IC) chip with sensing zones and/or well structures configured to receive a liquid with biological analytes. The chip includes a passivation layer with an opening over a channel layer and an array of graphene field effect transistors (gFETs) individually having a 2D graphene channel disposed on a dielectric oxide layer, a conductive drain, and a conductive source. A liquid gate is formed above the top surface of the graphene channel. The chip further includes reference electrodes formed in a metal layer, configured to contact the liquid, and disposed at a horizontal distance apart from the graphene channels. The individual gFETs are operable to enable a set of measurements to sense parameters of the biological analytes based on changes in a shape of Id-Vgs transconductance curves. A system and a method have similar structures and perform the functions of the apparatus.
Core Innovation
An apparatus and related system and method comprising a biosensor integrated circuit (IC) chip having one or more sensing zones within one or more well structures configured to receive a liquid comprising one or more biological analytes, wherein the chip includes a passivation layer with an opening over a channel layer and an array of graphene field effect transistors (gFETs). The individual gFETs include a graphene channel formed in the channel layer as a two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms disposed on a dielectric oxide layer, a conductive drain connected at a first end of the graphene channel, a conductive source connected at a second end of the graphene channel, and a liquid gate formed above the top surface of the graphene channel upon receipt of the liquid.
The biosensor IC chip further includes one or more reference electrodes formed in a metal layer and configured to contact the liquid, the reference electrodes disposed at a horizontal distance apart from the graphene channels, where at least one reference electrode is configured to apply a liquid gate voltage to the liquid and at least one reference electrode is configured to measure a liquid gate voltage of the liquid. The individual gFETs and reference electrodes enable measurements to sense parameters of biological analytes based on changes in a shape of a chemical sensing Id-Vgs curve relative to a reference Id-Vgs in response to the presence of the biological analyte in the liquid on or over the channels of the individual gFETs.
The background identifies that various existing transistor-based sensor designs have limited sensitivity and scalability. The disclosure addresses those shortcomings by providing Chemically-sensitive Field-Effect Transistors (ChemFETs), including two-dimensional nanomaterial-based gFETs and associated fabrication, array, and readout approaches, described as increasing measurement sensitivity and accuracy and facilitating significantly small sensor sizes and dense sensor arrays for chemical and biological analysis.
Claims Coverage
Three independent claims are identified (an apparatus, a system, and a method). Eight main inventive features are extracted from the independent claims.
Biosensor IC chip with sensing wells
A biosensor integrated circuit (IC) chip comprising one or more sensing zones within one or more well structures configured to receive a liquid comprising one or more biological analytes.
Array of gFETs with graphene channel on dielectric oxide
A passivation layer with an opening over a channel layer comprising an array of graphene field effect transistors (gFETs), where individual gFETs include a graphene channel formed in the channel layer as a two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms disposed on a dielectric oxide layer, a conductive drain at a first end, and a conductive source at a second end.
Liquid gate formed above graphene channel upon receipt of liquid
A liquid gate is formed above the top surface of the graphene channel upon receipt of the liquid, enabling solution-gated operation of the gFETs.
Reference electrodes configured to apply and measure liquid gate voltage
One or more reference electrodes formed in a metal layer of the biosensor IC chip are configured to contact the liquid, disposed at a horizontal distance apart from the graphene channels, with at least one reference electrode configured to apply a liquid gate voltage and at least one configured to measure a liquid gate voltage.
Sensing via changes in shape of chemical sensing Id-Vgs curve
The individual gFETs and the reference electrodes are operable to enable measurements to sense one or more parameters of a biological analyte based on changes in a shape of a chemical sensing Id-Vgs curve relative to a reference Id-Vgs in response to the presence of the biological analyte on or over the channels.
Processor reading digitized signals to determine analyte parameters
A system comprising the biosensor IC chip and a processor configured to read digitized signals from the individual gFETs to determine one or more parameters of biological analytes in the liquid based on changes in the shape of the chemical sensing Id-Vgs curve relative to the reference Id-Vgs.
Capture regions for attachment of biomaterials on graphene channel
Capture regions on or over the channel of gFETs configured to accommodate attachment of selected biomaterials to a top surface of the graphene channel, the biomaterials selected to detect biological analytes such as ions associated with biomolecules, nucleic acids, antigens, polysaccharides, proteins, peptides, small molecules, and combinations thereof.
Method sensing parameters from Id-Vgs shape and transconductance slopes
A method comprising providing the biosensor IC chip with well structures and gFETs having graphene channels and capture regions, sensing one or more parameters of analytes based on changes in a shape of a chemical sensing Id-Vgs curve relative to a reference Id-Vgs, and determining differences between analytes based on transconductance slope differences of respective chemical sensing Id-Vgs curves.
The independent claims cover a biosensor IC chip with well-defined solution-gated graphene FETs, metal-layer reference electrodes configured to apply and measure liquid gate voltage, sensing based on changes in chemical sensing Id-Vgs curve shape (including transconductance and slope differences), processor-based digitized readout, capture regions for biomaterial attachment, and methods to determine analyte differences via Id-Vgs and transconductance slope changes.
Stated Advantages
Increased measurement sensitivity and accuracy for chemical and biological analysis.
Facilitation of significantly small sensor sizes and dense sensor arrays (improved scalability).
Improved signal-to-noise characteristics and carrier mobility through use of one-dimensional and two-dimensional nanomaterial channels and contact/interface enhancements.
Label-free detection capability via sensing changes in shape or parameters of chemical sensing Id-Vgs curves relative to reference curves.
Documented Applications
Nucleic acid hybridization and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods, including detection and sequencing of DNA and RNA.
Genetic diagnostics, genome identification, species identification, SNP genotyping, and related genomic analyses such as whole genome analysis, exome analysis, panels analysis, and microarray analysis.
Detection and identification of analytes including ions associated with biomolecules, nucleic acids, antigens, polysaccharides, proteins, peptides, and small molecules.
Applications in clinical analysis including cancer analysis, noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), circulating free DNA (cfDNA) analysis, and blood/plasma/serum analysis.
Biosensing use cases such as enzyme FETs (EnFETs), antibody-antigen detection, cell monitoring, and microbial/microbiome analysis.
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