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420A
[11] Patent Number: 5,506,420
Kossovsky et al. [45] Date of Patent: Apr. 9, 1996
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SEMICONDUCTOR BIO-ELECTRONIC radiation when powered by an electric current above a
DEVICES INCORPORATIN G BIOCHEMICAL speci?c threshold level.
STABILIZATION LAYERS Other kinds of optoelectronic diodes are used to detect
optical radiation, some being speci?cally designed to detect
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION various wavelengths and modulation frequencies. Solar cells
are large-area junction diodes, most commonly made of
1. Field of the Invention doped silicon, that produce an electrical current in response
The present invention relates generally to bio-electronic to solar radiation having wavelengths ranging from the
devices in which one or more ?lms of an electronically visible to the near infrared.
active biochemical material are placed on a semiconductor Other types of semiconductor devices include electronic
substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to switching devices such as silicon recti?ers, triacs and tran
such bio-electronic devices where the electronic activity of sistors.
the biochemical ?lms or layers is preserved through the use The Materials Basis of Semiconductor Properties
of one or more biochemical stabilization layers which are One point that should be apparent from the above is that
located between the semiconductor and biochemical ?lms semiconductor materials are all essential crystalline ceram
and between the biochemical ?lms themselves. ics. They may be metal oxide ceramics, intermetallic ceram
2. Description of Related Art ics, or combinations thereof but tend to be comprised of
The publications and other reference materials referred to elements in the central columns of the periodic table.
herein to describe the background of the invention and to In chemical terms, what makes the semiconductor crystal
provide additional detail regarding its practice are hereby 20 so special is that the entire semiconductor crystal is a giant
incorporated by reference. For convenience, the reference covalently bonded molecule. In semiconductors, electron
materials are numerically referenced and grouped in the wave functions are delocalized in principle over an entire
appended bibliography. macroscopic crystal. Because of the large spatial extent of
these wave functions, no single atom can have much eifect
Semiconductors, materials that variably exhibit electrical on the electron energies. Because semiconductors are drawn
conductivity, are used to fabricate solid-state electronic
from the central columns (III, IV, V) of the periodic table and
devices. Their utility arises from the property that their tend to be non-polar, electrons in both the valence and
conductivity can change in response to environmental conduction bands (bonding and antibonding orbitals) tend to
stimuli and because they are subject to photoelectric effects. ignore the crystallographic lattice of atoms as well as one
Their properties arise from their crystalline nature, and another. Therefore, instead of having one single chemical
become manifest at their surfaces.
potential (or Fermi level) for all the electrons in the material,
Semiconductors are the product of a very creative and the possibility exists for two separate quasi-Fenni levels in
fortunate set of experiments performed in the 1940s by the same crystal (2).
Shockley and Bardeen demonstrating the transistor effect Semiconductor Surfaces are Critical to Their Function
(1). The consequences of their work has completely trans 35 Semiconductor surfaces are the most likely location for
formed the world over the latter half of the 20th century. non-bonding or weakly bonding orbitals to occur. These
Well recognized simple examples of semiconductor-based non-bonding orbitals with unwanted energy levels in the
devices include the temperature-sensitive thermistor, makes forbidden gap may promote slow decay of electrons from
use of the fact that semiconducting mixtures of certain the conduction hand back into the valence band in a process
metallic oxides decrease in electrical resistance with tem that is known as intemal conversion This is also known
perature increase. The device thus acts as a temperature as non-radiative recombination. Defect levels, arising from
sensor/switch, and enables a current to pass through that is impurities within the crystal mass (also known as disloca
proportional to the temperature change. Another semicon tions), act as stepping stones permitting conduction of
ductor component is the light-sensitive photoconductive electrons to cascade down to the valence band (2). For this
cell, or photoresistor. A photoresistor made from a thin ?lm 45 reason, semiconductor processing requires exquisite control
of cadmium sul?de has a resistance that can range from a of the materials surfaces and the cleanliness controls for
high of millions of ohms in total darkness to a low of tens manufacturing exceed both aerospace and medical standards
of ohms when it is illuminated with visible light. The device (3).
thus acts as a light sensor/switch and enables a current to Advances in semiconducting materials and related tech
pass through that is proportional to the, light change. 50 nologies enabling improved solid state electronics have
Diodes are devices that are based, in part, on the latter arisen from the ability to grow macroscopically dislocation
property of semiconductors, and those that have optoelec free large diameter silicon single crystals, controlled growth
tronic properties are especially important. Light-emitting of thick epitaxial layers, advances in processing techniques
diodes can be made from gallium arsenide, gallium phos and an understanding of the interrelationship between
phide, and certain other semiconductor compounds. These 55 rnicrostructures and device behavior. The techniques used
diodes emit a relatively narrow-frequency spectrum of opti to grow crystals are the following: a) Czochralski, b) ?oat
cal radiation, which may range from the visible to the zone, c) liquid encapsulated Czochralski, and d) Bridgman.
infrared, depending on the semiconductor from which the Certain devices, such as light-emitting diodes, double het
diode is made. Light-emitting diodes producing red, yellow, erostructures or lasers, quantum well lasers, photodetectors
and green light have found widespread use as long-lived and solar cells, all require multi layer structures consisting
indicator lamps and as numeric displays in electronic cal of layers of different compositions and conductivity. Among
culators, wrist-watches, and other solid-state instruments. the various techniques used to deposit epitaxial layers or
Infrared-emitting diodes are used for the optical transmis otherwise modify the surfaces of semiconductors include:
sion of information (optical communications) through chemical vapor deposition, organo-metallic vapor phase
highly transparent glass and plastic ?bers, as well as through 65 epitaxy, molecular beam epitaxy, organo-metallic molecular
the atmosphere. The light-emitting diode laser is a junction beam epitaxy, diffusion techniques and ion implantation
diode that emits a narrow band of wavelengths of optical techniques (4).
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One of the common features of almost all semiconductor Both the surface modi?cation concept and the electron
devices is that they exhibit relatively linear responsivities donor-acceptor pair concept can be combined at the semi
(5). For example, thermistors produce a linearly proportional conductor surface. Electron transfer across the space
increase in conductivity relative to an environmental tem between a donor semiconductor and an acceptor organic
perature increase, photoresistors produce a linearly propor molecule has been demonstrated in a three layered construct
tional increase in conductivity relative to environmental comprised of polycrystalline titanium dioxide, a salicylic
visible light radiation increase, and diodes become linearly acid related spacer molecule, and an electron acceptor from
more luminescent with an increase in current. the bipyridinium family (12). The product was viewed as a
While linear responsivity is extremely useful in a broad
regenerative photoelectrical cell based on transparent poly
range of applications such as biotechnology, physics, chem
istry, medicine, aviation, oceanography and environmental 10 crystalline semiconductor ?lms sensitized by chernisorbed
control (5), ultra sensitive detection systems in all of these dyes (13, 14). Many others have been involved in similar
?elds of use would have to exhibit non-linear transduction types of experiments.
would have to produce a disproportionately large signal in Colvin et al. (15) describe a method for attaching semi
response to an extremely low level of substance, and a conductor nanocrystals to metal surfaces using self
disproportionately small signal in response to an extremely 15 assembled difunctional organic monolayers as bridge com
high level of substance-to be maximally useful. pounds. Recent advances have extended self assembled
In particular, low threshold detection has been a major monolayers beyond the prototype gold/thiol systems. Fatty
technological challenge. The task is not physically impos acids on aluminum, silanes on silicon, isonitriles on plati
sible, for there are ample examples of naturally occurring num and rigid phosphates on metals are all examples. Metals
ultra-sensitive detection systems with a broad dynamic 20 provide the ideal support for organic compounds with large
range. Indeed, biological systems are optimized for low non-linear optical behavior and by using self assembled
level detection. Animals have optical and acoustic detection monolayers, the molecules can be held in speci?c orienta
systems that are far more sensitive and have a far greater tions with respect to the metal (1 6). In other work, the ability
dynamic range than any manmade device. Insects and ?sh to dictate the structural details of an interface is exploited to
have extraordinary chemoreceptors far more sensitive than 25 study processes of electron transport between an electrode
any synthetic device. Mimicry of these biological non-linear surface and an active moiety bound on top of a monolayer
systems in a synthetic device, however, has only recently (17, 18, 19).
been explored. Yan and Bein demonstrate the potential of organically
Recent studies have shown that modi?cations in the modi?ed layered sorbents for the development of selective
surfaces of semiconductors can have a profound impact on 30 chemical sensors, for example, for aromatic compounds.
their electrical performance. This is particularly true for The interplay of size exclusion and partitioning in the
polycrystalline semiconductor devices such as CdTe- and organic phases results in unique selectivities that can
CulnSe2 based solar cells (7). Speci?cally, several recent complement the molecular sieving of porous framework
studies have shown that exposure of semiconductors to hosts such as zeolites. Shown is a four layer composition
organic ligands can change both semiconductor lumines 35 comprised of a silicate layer, an organic clay layer which is
cence or ?at band potentials (8, 9). In the primary study the molecular sieve and binding layer, an additional silicate
cited, semiconductors electron a?inity (surface conductiv~ and ?nally, a QCM gold electrode sensor (20).
ity) was modi?able over a 500 mV range with various Feng and Bein (12) reported the oriented growth of
substituted benzoic acid derivatives without affecting band crystals of zinc-phosphate zeolite in gold surfaces modi?ed
bending. These ?ndings suggest that semiconductors may 40 with metal phosphonate multilayer ?lms. The high degree of
function as chemoreceptors/sensors in a manner analogous orientation observed is attributed to a strong a?inity between
to thermistors and photoresistors. the phosphonic acid groups of the phosphate multi layer and
Organized Complex Molecules (Homodyads) the (111) faces of the growing crystals. The systems
The rediscovery of surfaces has led to investigations in described are the ?rst examples of oriented surface con
two directions. The ?rst involves exploration of devices 45 trolled growth of molecular sieve crystals. These materials,
based exclusively on surface elements while the other they suggested could offer exciting applications such as
involves exploration of bulk device tuning through surface controlled access of molecules of pre-selected size to a
modi?cation. As an example of the former, efforts to create sensor surface or orientation of moleculars for non-linear
electronic functions and devices based on molecules instead optical applications.
of bulk semiconductors are being inspired by the anticipated 50 In general, the very low light emission e?iciency from the
enormous increase in computing speed and storage density. molecules adjacent to metallic and semiconductor surfaces
Among the challenges of coupling conjugated systems and is caused by the fast deexcitation processes governed by
con?ned aromatic systems with operational devices is to energy transfer to non-radiative surface excitations (Auger
achieve charge transfer in low ?elds such as metallic wires processes). Conductors such as indium-tin-oxides, which
and to establish communication with individual electrically 55 possess band structures that are responsible for the optical
separated nanometer structures or molecules. Conjugated transparency in the visible and near ultraviolet and therefore
polymers with mobile charge carriers in nanometer channels preclude e?icient energy transfer in this energy range
that exhibit signi?cant conductivity when encapsulated have become an ideal surface to measure light emission from
been described. The materials used include the mesoporous immobilized molecules on their surfaces. Indium-tin-oxide
alumino-silicate host, designated MCM-4l and the conduct 60 surfaces were coated with high emission and photochemi
ing polymer, polyaniline (10). Organized complex mol cally stable molecules 9-10 dichloro\anthracene and the
,ecules, known also as homodyads or dyads, have been laser dyes DCM and coumarin (21).
fabricated from a wide variety of materials. Homodyads are The design of selective coatings for microsensors such as
simply paired electron donor molecules and electron accep optical waveguides, chemically sensitive ?eld effect transis
tor molecules separated by a spacer molecule (11). tors, chemical resistors and acoustic wave devices has
Organized Complex Electronically Active Molecules at attracted growing attention. The goal of these studies is to
Semiconductor Surfaces (Heterodyads) increase the sensitivity and chemical selectivity of the sensor
5,506,420
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by controlling the surface interactions and solubilities of include veterinary medicine, agri-food, horticulture, phar
analyte vapors to be detected. Yan and Bein (22) use the maceutics, petrochemical industry, environmental surveil
coupling agent 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane as a lance, defense and security (28). All biosensors exploit a
bifunctional molecular precursor for anchoring zeolite crys close harmony between a selective biorecognition system
tals to a gold electrode. A three layer composition comprised and a transducer which translates a physico-chemical signal
of a gold tin oxide quartz crystal microbalance coated with perturbation associated with the biorecognition process into
a cat ionic disilane coated with a zeolite arrangement has a usable signal. The biorecognition system is typically an
been used to control the self assembly of redox chains on enzyme, sequence of enzymes, lectin, antibody, membrane
electrodes (23). receptor protein, organelle, bacterial, plant or animal cell or
Part of the problem of introducing non-linear functional whole slice of plant or mammalian tissue. The majority of
successful biosensors exploit enzymes as a biological rec
ity to semiconductor devices, essentially coupling allosteric ognition response system which are linked to transducers
electronically active biological molecules to the surfaces of
semiconductors, arises from the molecular inactivation capable of responding to the protons, ions, gasses, heat,
induced by the surfaces. It is important to note that not all
light, mass or electrons generated during the catalytic cycle.
molecules that are electron-active lose their activity follow
Biocatalytic systems based on enzymes can display poor
ing surface mobilization. Fumarate reductase from E. coli stability, limited selectivity and insu?icient sensitivity at low
levels. Highly selective and sensitive devices based on
can be immobilized in an extremely electroactive state at an
electrode with a retention of native catalytic properties. immunological recognition systems may circumvent the
Fumarate serves as a terminal electron acceptor (24). In
shortcomings. One example of an antibody system included
a surface acoustic wave quartz crystal which was comprised
addition, many of the molecules which form homodyads
of interdigitated transducers between which was deposited a
may retain activity after being surface bound, although there goat antibody by covalent immobilization to the silanized
is little data at present to support such a contention. More
importantly, surface induced denaturation is well recog surface (29).
nized. Loss of ?uorescence activity after direct adsorption to In general, the coupling of the semiconductor materials to
biologically active molecules or even living tissues is
solid surfaces, such as glass observed by Schlautman (25) 25
using the dye perylene. The ?uorescence of polycyclic extremely di?icult, and the contact must be gentle (30).
aromatic hydrocarbons tends to be observed only with free
More technically, optimization of molecular response of
solute and almost universally is quenched following adsorp nonlinear optical materials will depend crucially on how the
tion or other association of non-organic materials. Fluores~
chromophore molecule response is affected by environment
and the temporal characteristics of that environment (31).
cence quenching of perylene approached almost 100% with
the binding of perylene to humic acid as well, while bovine SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
serum albumin quenched only 42% of the associated
perylene ?uorescence (25). In a similar vein, Gaines et al. In accordance with the present invention, improved bio
have shown that a dyad may be stabilized by as much as 0.9 electronic devices are provided wherein the electronic activ
eV in going from a polar liquid to a rigid glass (26). Thus, 35
ity of biochemical molecules is preserved when they are
located on the surface of a semiconductor electronic device.
solid states are clearly, in general, inhibitory of optimal
electron carriage by electronically active biological mol The present invention is based on the discovery that a layer
ecules. of polyhydroxy oligomer placed between the semiconductor
Surfaces also tend to constrain a molecules ability to surface and the layer of electronically active biochemical
assume various allosteric conformations. This can nega
molecules prevents or substantially reduces any denaturiza
tion of the biochemical molecule or other lessening of
tively impact the performance of certain bio-opto/electronic
devices. For example, optical memory devices, by virtue of electronic activity.
the band width of laser devices, are expected to improve the Bio-electronic devices in accordance with the present
density of microprocessor memory by a factor of 10. During invention include an electronic device which includes at
the past eight years, investigators have shown considerable 45 least one semiconductor layer having a surface formed from
interest in using light-transducing proteins for optical semiconductor layer material. A biochemical stabilization
memories. The use of biological molecules has signi?cant layer is deposited on and bound to the semiconductor
advantages. The ability of biological molecules to respond to surface. The biochemical stabilization layer is made up of a
photons and convert to electrical energy in part, depends on polyhydroxy oligomer. The stabilization layer has an interior
changes in molecular shape. The shape change induces 50 surface in contact with and bound to the semiconductor layer
changes in a molecules frequency response which could surface. Further, the stabilization layer of polyhydroxy oli
make a device based on shape-changing molecules self gomer has an exterior surface. To this exterior surface is
tuning as well as nonlinear (27). Restricting the allosteric bound the electronically active biochemical molecule which
activity by a non-yielding surface would preclude the real functions in conjunction with the underlying electronic
ization of the projected gain. 55 device to provide a bio-electronic device. The present inven
Biosensors are another class of devices dependent on tion may be used to prevent or substantially reduce deacti
shape. Biosensors are analytical devices that respond selec vation of electronically active biochemical molecules when
tively to analytes in an appropriate sample and convert their they are bound to semiconductor material surfaces present in
concentration into an electrical signal via a combination of an electronic device.
a biological recognition system and a physico-chemical 60 The above discussed and many other features and atten
transducer. Biosensors promise to provide a powerful and dant advantages of the present invention will become better
inexpensive alternative to conventional analytic strategies understood by reference to the following detailed descrip
for assaying chemical species in complex matrices; they do tion of the invention.
this by being able to discriminate the target analyte from a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
host of inert and potentially interfering species without the 65
requirement for separating and, subsequently, identifying all FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary
the constituents of the sample. Speci?c ?elds of applications bio-electronic device in accordance with the present inven
5,506,420
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tion wherein a layer of electronically active biochemical
material is bound to the surface of a semiconductor substrate TABLE 2
via a stabilization layer of polyhydroxy oligomer. Donor-Acceptor H Conjugated Chromophores
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an exemplary
bio-electronic device in accordance with the present inven
tion wherein two layers of electronically active biochemical
material are bound to the surface of a semiconductor sub
strate wherein stabilization layers of polyhydroxy oligomers
are placed between the semiconductor substrate and the
stabilization layers and between the stabilization layers 10
themselves.