A (bio-)chemical field-effect sensor with macroporous Si as substrate material and a SiO2 / LPCVD-Si3N4 double layer as pH transducer

Abstract

Macroporous silicon has been etched from n-type Si, using a vertical etching cell where no rear side contact on the silicon wafer is necessary. The resulting macropores have been characterised by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). After etching, SiO2 was thermally grown on the top of the porous silicon as an insulating layer and Si3N4 was deposited by means of Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition (LPCVD) as transducer material to fabricate a capacitive pH sensor. In order to prepare porous biosensors, the enzyme penicillinase has been additionally immobilised inside the porous structure. Electrochemical measurements of the pH sensor and the biosensor with an Electrolyte/Insulator/Semiconductor (EIS) structure have been performed in the Capacitance/Voltage (C/V) and Constant capacitance (ConCap) mode. © 2002 by MDPI.