A monolithic sensor array for measuring chemical and biochemical parameters

A monolithic single chip sensor system for measuring chemical and biochemical parameters has been developed and fabricated in a modified standard CMOS-Process. It can be used for amperometric or potentiometric measurements to create a concentration-dependent spatial profile of the detected material. Beside 400 working electrodes and two reference electrodes, it contains integrated read-out amplifiers, digital circuits for addressing the components of the chip, and test circuits. The on-chip signal processing allows watching chemical processes without an affection by the external measurement equipment. High electrode impedances and low power consumption can be acheived by using CMOS-Technology. Chemical separations by applying a voltage on the electrode are possible. In advantage to non-integrated solutions, the system can be used in a wide field of application, for instance measurements in narrow passages, because of the chip size of 14 mm x 14 mm.