IMPEDIMETRIC DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PRODUCTION THEREOF

摘要

A sensor for identifying molecular structures within a sample solution is disclosed. The sensor comprises an insulating layer with a plurality of interspaced channels therein having essentially the same direction. Said channels have a bottom and at least two opposite side-walls along said direction. The channels furthermore have submicron dimensions. A metal coating is applied on one of said two opposite side-walls of essentially each channel and on top of the dielectric layer inbetween said channels thereby forming an impedimetric device with said sample solution within and between adjacent channels. Probes for specifically binding to said molecular structures can be applied, said probes being applied to either the insulating part of the channels (said bottom and the other side-wall of said channels), or to the surface of the electrodes or both, the insulating part of the channels and the surface of the electrodes. Furthermore, means are provided for applying a voltage on the metal coatings; and means for measuring the impedance inbetween the electrodes. Furthermore, a method of fabricating a sensor for identifying molecular structures within a sample solution is disclosed. This method comprises the steps of forming a plurality of interspaced channels in an insulating layer, said channels having essentially the same direction, said channels having a bottom and at least two opposite side-walls along said direction; depositing a metal layer on said insulating layer while aligning said insulating layer with respect to the metal deposition source such that the bottom of said canals and the side-walls of said canals along the deposition direction are shadowed and not covered by metal to thereby form an impedimetric device with said sample solution within and between adjacent channels; and applying probes for binding to said molecular structures, said probes being applied to either the insulating part of the channels (said bottom and the other side-wall of said channels), or to the surface of the electrodes or both, the insulating part of the channels and the surface of the electrodes, facing the deposition direction.