CMOS‐Compatible Nanowire Sensor Arrays for Detection of Cellular Bioelectricity

Abstract

Perfectly aligned arrays of long silicon nanowires fabricated using a top–down complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible approach and their ability for real‐time extracellular recording of cellular bioelectricity are presented. The technique enables noninvasive, high‐sensitivity, high‐throughput, long‐term electrophysiology measurements at the single‐cell level or from tissues.

Action potentials of HL-1 cells recorded with silicon nanowire transistors

“…So far, the coupling of NWs to cells has been demonstrated once with neuronal cells 6 and in a very recent publication with cardiomyocytes and aortic smooth muscle cells. 7 However, the signal shapes in these studies were different from previous recordings with planar transistors and so far are not well understood.…”

Flexible electrical recording from cells using nanowire transistor arrays

“…More recently, several groups have demonstrated electrical interfaces with cells and tissue using NWFETs and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (14)(15)(16)(17). Interestingly, studies have shown clearly that NW and CNT devices have substantially higher sensitivity than planar FETs for detection of binding and unbinding of proteins, nucleic acids, and even single virus particles (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23) and thus can also offer advantages for cellular recording.…”

“…Interestingly, studies have shown clearly that NW and CNT devices have substantially higher sensitivity than planar FETs for detection of binding and unbinding of proteins, nucleic acids, and even single virus particles (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23) and thus can also offer advantages for cellular recording. Indeed, NWFET studies have demonstrated high-S/N recording from cultured neurons, muscle cells and embryonic chicken hearts (14)(15)(16). A unique feature of these studies compared with conventional planar devices measurements is that the nanodevices protrude from the plane of substrate, and hence can increase NW/cell interfacial coupling.…”

Nanowire nanoelectronics: Building interfaces with tissue and cells at the natural scale of biology

“…A separate group also demonstrated that lithographically patterned top-down NW FETs can be used to record signals from rat cardiomyocytes and monolayers of rat aortic smooth muscle cells with high S/N and mV amplitudes [42]. In our own laboratory, we investigated cultured cardiomyocyte monolayers in a new manner and probed the relationship between interfaces and signal magnitude [43].…”