Positioning living cells on a high-density electrode array by negative dielectrophoresis

We present in this paper a large-scale microelectrode array, which allows a dielectrophoretic positioning of cells in a matrix form. The electrode structure was chosen to produce regularly spaced field minima, toward which particles are directed and concentrated, under conditions of negative DEP. The need to power thousands of electrodes at the same time guided the choice of a multilayer structure. Cells can also be directed toward small wells formed in silicon, where they remain when the field is removed.