Sensor device for biosensing and other applications

Abstract

A sensor suitable for detecting specific analytes, a method for manufacturing the sensor, and a method for using the sensor in a diagnostic procedure provided. In an embodiment, the sensor device includes a substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate, and a probe layer disposed on the dielectric layer. The probe layer is configured to react with an analyte. The reaction may include: binding with the analyte, undergoing a change in a chemical property of the probe layer, or undergoing a change in a structural property of the probe layer. In examples, an attribute of the dielectric layer is configured to identify the device during a process that determines whether the probe layer has reacted with the analyte.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a substrate;   a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate; and   a probe layer disposed on the dielectric layer, wherein the probe layer is configured to react with an analyte.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the probe layer is configured to react with the analyte by performing at least one of: binding with the analyte, undergoing a change in a chemical property of the probe layer, or undergoing a change in a structural property of the probe layer. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein an attribute of the dielectric layer is configured to identify the device during a process that determines whether the probe layer has reacted with the analyte. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the attribute includes at least one of: a thickness of the dielectric layer, an index of refraction, a presence or absence of a feature, or a feature spatial pattern. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising an interfacial layer disposed between the dielectric layer and the probe layer. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the interfacial layer and the probe layer. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dielectric layer includes a plurality of features extending from a main portion of the dielectric layer to define a trench,   wherein a portion of the probe layer is disposed within the trench,   wherein the analyte is a first analyte, and   wherein a spacing between the plurality of features is configured to allow a reaction between the first analyte and the portion of the probe layer and to inhibit a reaction between a second analyte and the portion of the probe layer.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer and the probe layer are a first dielectric layer and a first probe layer, respectively, and are disposed on a first surface of the substrate, the device further comprising:
 a second dielectric layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface; and   a second probe layer disposed on the second dielectric layer opposite the substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the probe layer includes at least one of: a DNA sequence, an RNA sequence, biotin, an antibody, an antibody antigen complex, chromatin, interleukin, an enzyme, or a protein. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 exposing a sensor device to an environment to determine the presence of an analyte therein, wherein the sensor device includes:
 a substrate; 
 an identification structure disposed on the substrate; and 
 a probe layer disposed on the identification structure and configured to undergo a reaction in the presence of the analyte; 
   performing an inspection technique on the sensor device to determine whether the probe layer has undergone the reaction, wherein the performing of the inspection technique includes identifying the analyte by measuring a property of the identification layer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the inspection technique includes performing at least one of: ellipsometry or scatterometry. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the property includes at least one of: a thickness of the identification layer, an index of refraction, a presence or absence of a feature, or a feature spatial pattern. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor device further includes an orientation feature disposed on the substrate opposite the identification structure, the method further comprising aligning the sensor device for the inspection technique using the orientation feature. 
     
     
         14 . A plurality of chips for medical diagnosis comprising a first chip and a second chip:
 the first chip comprising:   a substrate at a first end of the first chip, the substrate comprising a flat face having a length of from about 0.5 μm to about 5 mm;   a probe layer at a second opposite end of the first chip, the probe layer of the first chip comprising a first biological probe capable of selectively reacting with a first analyte, and   an identification layer disposed between the substrate and the probe layer of the first chip, the identification layer of the first chip comprising a material selected from the group consisting of dielectric material and non-dielectric material; and   the second chip comprising:   a substrate at a first end of the second chip, the substrate comprising a flat face having a length of from about 0.5 μm to about 5 mm;   a probe layer at a second opposite end of the second chip, the probe layer of the second chip comprising a second biological probe capable of selectively reacting with a second analyte, and   an identification layer disposed between the substrate and the probe layer of the second chip, the identification layer of the second chip comprising a material selected from the group consisting of dielectric material and non-dielectric material;   wherein the first biological probe corresponds to the identification layer of the first chip, and the second biological probe corresponds to the identification layer of the second chip, and   wherein the first biological probe and the second biological probe are different from each other, and the identification layer of the first chip and the identification layer of the second chip are optically distinguishable from each other.   
     
     
         15 . The plurality of chips of  claim 14 , wherein the identification layer of the first chip comprises a non-dielectric material and wherein the first chip further comprises an oxide layer disposed between the probe layer and the identification layer. 
     
     
         16 . The plurality of chips of  claim 15 , wherein the first chip further comprises an adhesive layer disposed between the probe layer and the oxide layer. 
     
     
         17 . The plurality of chips of  claim 14 , wherein the identification layers of the first and second chips have at least one property detectable by scatterometry. 
     
     
         18 . The plurality of chips of  claim 14 , wherein the identification layers of the first and second chips independently comprise a dielectric layer having an index of refraction of from about 1.1 to about 2.9 and a thickness of from about 2 nm to about 3 μm. 
     
     
         19 . The plurality of chips of  claim 18 , wherein a difference between the index of refraction of the dielectric layer of the first chip and the index of refraction of the dielectric layer of the second chip is at least ±0.2. 
     
     
         20 . The plurality of chips of  claim 18 , wherein a difference between the thickness of the dielectric layer of the first chip and the thickness of the dielectric layer of the second chip is at least ±20 nm.