Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

The invention provides a chemical-responsive field-effect transducer operating in depletion-mode, or enhancement/depletion-mode, comprising: a semiconductor material having a pair of adjacent diffusion regions (1,2) of a certain doping polarity located at the surface and separated by a channel (3) of the same doping polarity, said channel being created by diffusion, ion-implantation, epitaxial growth, or creation of a surface inversion layer by controlled processing techniques or other means. The diffusion regions and channel region are supported by an insulating substrate (4) or semiconductor substrate of opposite polarity. Electrical insulator (6) and/or ion-barrier material (7) overlies the aforementioned channel region. An electroactive material (10) overlies said insulator and/or ion-barrier, such that the electroactive material will interact with substances to which it is exposed and control the charge-carrier density in the aforementioned channel. Such devices form the basis of a variety of assemblies, including flow-injection-analysis sensors, and flow-through cuvettes suitable for the continuous or intermittent on-line monitoring of blood, ex-vivo, in the clinical environment.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim