Charge-Based Capacitive Sensor Array for CMOS-Based Laboratory-on-Chip Applications

Author

Ghafar-Zadeh, Ebrahim ; Sawan, Mohamad

Author_Institution

Polystim Neurotechnologies Lab., Montreal

Volume

8

Issue

4

fYear

2008

fDate

4/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

325

Lastpage

332

Abstract

In this paper, we present a capacitive sensor array for highly integrated lab-on-chip (LoC) applications using the charge-based capacitance measurement method (CBCM). The core-CBCM sensor chip is designed and implemented in 0.18 micron CMOS process featuring an array of capacitive sensors; an offset cancellation module and a low complexity analog-to-digital converter (ADC). This sensor chip is incorporated with a microfluidic channel using direct-write fabrication process. We demonstrate the testing results using chemical solvents with known dielectric constants in order to show the viability of the proposed sensor chip for LoCs.

Keywords

CMOS integrated circuits; analogue-digital conversion; bioMEMS; biochemistry; capacitive sensors; lab-on-a-chip; microchannel flow; microsensors; sensor arrays; CMOS-based laboratory-on-chip application; analog-to-digital converter; capacitive sensor array; charge-based capacitance measurement method; chemical solvents; dielectric constants; direct-write fabrication process; microfluidic channel; size 0.18 mum; Analog-digital conversion; CMOS process; Capacitance measurement; Capacitive sensors; Chemical sensors; Fabrication; Lab-on-a-chip; Laboratories; Microfluidics; Sensor arrays; CMOS technology; Capacitive sensor; direct-write microfluidic packaging; lab-on-chip (LoC); sigma delta ADC;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Sensors Journal, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1530-437X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSEN.2008.917485

Filename

4453910