Polymer Replicated Interdigitated Electrode Array for Bio(Sensing) Applications

Abstract

A sensor is disclosed. In one embodiment, the sensor includes an insulating substrate comprising a first zone, a second zone, and an intermediate zone, where the intermediate zone comprises a portion of the second zone that overlaps the first zone. The sensor further comprises a first electrode in the first zone that comprises a first plurality of fingers of a conductive material, a second electrode in the second zone that comprises a second plurality of fingers of the conductive material that are interdigitated with the first plurality of fingers, a plurality of three-dimensional isolation structures, and a plurality of shadow zones, wherein each shadow zone is adjacent to at least one isolation structure and is substantially free of conductive material. The plurality of isolation structures may comprises hills and/or channels.

1 . A sensor comprising:
 an insulating substrate comprising a first zone, a second zone, and an intermediate zone, wherein:
 the intermediate zone comprises a portion of the second zone that overlaps the first zone, 
 the first zone comprises a first inner edge adjacent to the intermediate zone and a first outer edge opposite the first inner edge, and 
 the second zone comprises a second inner edge adjacent to the intermediate zone and a second outer edge opposite the second inner edge; 
   a first electrode in the first zone, the first electrode comprising a first plurality of fingers of a conductive material;   a second electrode in the second zone, the second electrode comprising a second plurality of fingers of the conductive material, wherein the second plurality of fingers are interdigitated with the first plurality of fingers;   a plurality of three-dimensional isolation structures; and   a plurality of shadow zones, wherein each shadow zone is adjacent to at least one isolation structure and is substantially free of conductive material.   
     
     
         2 . The sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of isolation structures comprises a plurality of hills. 
     
     
         3 . The sensor of  claim 2 , wherein each hill is formed at one of the first inner edge and the second inner edge. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor of  claim 3 , wherein hills formed at the first inner edge alternate with hills formed at the second inner edge. 
     
     
         5 . The sensor of  claim 2 , wherein each shadow zone being adjacent to at least one isolation structure comprises each shadow zone being adjacent to a hill in the plurality of hills. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor of  claim 5 , wherein a top of each hill has a trapezoidal shape comprising two parallel edges. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the two parallel edges comprise a longer edge and a shorter edge, and   the shorter edge is closer to a shadow zone adjacent to the hill than is the longer edge.   
     
     
         8 . The sensor of  claim 2 , wherein the hills are of varying sizes. 
     
     
         9 . The sensor of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of isolation structures further comprises a plurality of channels. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor of  claim 9 , wherein each channel is formed between a finger of the first plurality of fingers and a finger of the second plurality of fingers. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor of  claim 9 , wherein each hill is formed at an end of a channel. 
     
     
         12 . The sensor of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of isolation structures extend outside the first zone and the second zone. 
     
     
         13 . The sensor of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the isolation structures that extend outside the first zone and the second zone comprise hills that are staggered with respect to one another. 
     
     
         14 . The sensor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first zone further comprises a first top edge and a first bottom edge opposite the first top edge, each of the first top edge and the first bottom edge being non-parallel to each of the first inner edge and the first outer edge, and   the second zone further comprises a second top edge and a second bottom edge opposite the second top edge, each of the second top edge and the second bottom edge being non-parallel to each of the second inner edge and the second inner edge.   
     
     
         15 . The sensor of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of isolation structures comprises at least one channel formed adjacent to at least one of (i) the first top edge and the second top edge and (ii) the first bottom edge and the second bottom edge. 
     
     
         16 . The sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising a conductive zone outside of the first zone and the second zone, wherein the conductive zone comprises the conductive material. 
     
     
         17 . The sensor of  claim 16 , wherein at least one isolation structure extends outside the conductive zone. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first contact electrically coupled to the first electrode; and   a second contact electrically coupled to the second electrode.   
     
     
         19 . The sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising probes configures to bind to molecules in a sample, wherein each probe is attached to one of the first electrode, the second electrode, and an insulating structure. 
     
     
         20 . The sensor of  claim 19 , wherein the probes comprise at least one of peptides, enzymes, antigens, antibodies, oligonucleotides, deoxyribonucleic acid fragments, and ribonucleic acid fragments. 
     
     
         21 . The sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, aluminum, tantalum, titanium, and indium tin oxide. 
     
     
         22 . The sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a crystalline material, an amorphous material, and a polymer. 
     
     
         23 . The sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a measurement device configured to measure at least one electrical property of each of the first electrode and the second electrode.   
     
     
         24 . The sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a receptacle for a sample solution to be sensed.   
     
     
         25 . A sensor comprising:
 an insulating substrate comprising a first zone, a second zone, and an intermediate zone, wherein the intermediate zone comprises a portion of the second zone that overlaps the first zone;   a plurality of first electrodes in the first zone, each first electrode comprising a first plurality of fingers of a conductive material;   a plurality of second electrodes in the second zone, each second electrode comprising a second plurality of fingers of the conductive material, wherein the second plurality of fingers are interdigitated with the first plurality of fingers;   a plurality of three-dimensional isolation structures; and   a plurality of shadow zones, wherein each shadow zone is adjacent to at least one isolation structure and is substantially free of conductive material.   
     
     
         26 . The sensor of  claim 25 , wherein the first plurality of electrodes are electrically isolated from one another and at least a portion of the second plurality of electrodes are electrically connected to one another. 
     
     
         27 . The sensor of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are arranged in a geometric array comprising a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, and   each column in the plurality of columns in electrically isolated from the other columns in the plurality of columns.