Matrix arrays and methods for making sam

Abstract

A method of forming a polymer matrix array includes applying an aqueous solution into wells of a well array. The aqueous solution includes polymer precursors. The method further includes applying an immiscible fluid over the well array to isolate the aqueous solution within the wells of the well array and polymerizing the polymer precursors isolated in the wells of the well array to form the polymer matrix array. An apparatus includes a sensor array, a well array corresponding to the sensor array, and an array of polymer matrices disposed in the well array.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a sensor array including a plurality of sensors, each sensor including an ion sensitive material layer;   a well array disposed over the sensor array and defining wells corresponding to sensors of the plurality of sensors, the ion sensitive material layer of a sensor forming a bottom surface of a corresponding well;   a conformal polymer matrix disposed within the wells.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the conformal polymer matrix includes a polyacrylamide matrix. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix is a cured-in-place polymer matrix. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the conformal polymer matrix is conjugated to an oligonucleotide. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the well has a characteristic diameter in a range of 0.1 micrometers to 2 micrometers. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the well has a thickness in a range of 0.01 micrometers to 10 micrometers. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of claim Error! Reference source not found., wherein the conformal polymer matrix includes a polymer formed from a radically polymerizable monomer. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the radically polymerizable monomer includes a vinyl-based monomer. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the vinyl-based monomer includes acrylamide, vinyl acetate, hydroxyalkylmethacrylate, variations or derivatives thereof or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the acrylamide includes hydroxyalkylacrylamide. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the acrylamide includes a bromine functionalized acrylamide. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the polymer is also formed with a crosslinker. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the crosslinker is a bis-acrylamide. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the polymer is further formed with a surface active additive. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the monomer includes an oligonucleotide functionalized acrylamide. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the monomer includes N-(5-bromoacetamidylpentyl)acrylamide. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherien the sensors of the sensor array comprise ion-sensitive field effect transistors. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the well array is housed within a flow cell. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the wells of the well array open to an interior of the flow cell. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of claim wherein a well of the wells has a volume in a range of 0.05 fL to 10 pL.