A suspended membrane nanocalorimeter for ultralow volume bioanalysis

A nanocalorimetric suspended membrane sensor for pL volumes of aqueous media was fabricated by bulk silicon micromachining using anisotropic wet etching and photo and electron beam lithographic techniques. A high-temperature sensitivity of 125 /spl mu/K and a rapid unfiltered time constant of 12 ms...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on nanobioscience 2002-03, Vol.1 (1), p.29-36
Main Authors: Johannessen, E.A., Weaver, J.M.R., Cobbold, P.H., Cooper, J.M.
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropic magnetoresistance
Biomembranes
Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation
Biosensing Techniques - methods
Biosensors
Calorimetry - instrumentation
Computer-Aided Design
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Gold
Membranes, Artificial
Microchemistry - instrumentation
Microfluidics - instrumentation
Microfluidics - methods
Micromachining
Nanotechnology - instrumentation
Nickel
Sensor arrays
Sensor phenomena and characterization
Silicon
Silicon nitride
Thermal sensors
Thermography - instrumentation
Thermography - methods
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Summary:A nanocalorimetric suspended membrane sensor for pL volumes of aqueous media was fabricated by bulk silicon micromachining using anisotropic wet etching and photo and electron beam lithographic techniques. A high-temperature sensitivity of 125 /spl mu/K and a rapid unfiltered time constant of 12 ms have been achieved by integrating a miniaturized reaction vessel of 0.7-nL volume on a 800-nm-thick and 300/spl times/300- /spl mu/m/sup 2/-large silicon nitride membrane, thermally insulated from the surrounding bulk silicon. The combination of a ten-junction gold and nickel thermoelectric sensor with an integrated ultralow noise preamplifier has enabled the resolution of 15-nW power in a single measurement, a result confirmed by electrical calibration. The combination of a high sensitivity and rapid response time is a consequence of miniaturization. The choice of gold and nickel as sensor material provided the maximum thermal sensitivity in the context of ease of fabrication and cost. The nanocalorimetric sensor has the potential for integration in an ultralow-volume high-density array format for the characterization of processes in which there is an exchange of heat.
ISSN:1536-1241
1558-2639
DOI:10.1109/TNB.2002.806935