Microfabrication techniques for chemical/biosensors

TLDR

Microfabricated chemical and biosensors rely on fundamental sensor principles and exemplify state‑of‑the‑art designs. The paper reviews microfabrication processes for chemical and biochemical sensors. The review covers standard semiconductor‑derived processing steps, micromachining of 3‑D mechanical structures, and monolithic integration of transducers and circuitry for chemical and biological microsensors. The review contrasts the pros and cons of using IC fabrication with added microfabrication steps versus custom nonstandard process flows for sensor devices.

Abstract

Microfabrication processes for chemical and biochemical sensors are reviewed. Standard processing steps originating from semiconductor technology are detailed, and specific micromachining steps to fabricate three-dimensional mechanical structures are described. Fundamental chemical sensor principles are briefly abstracted and corresponding state-of-the-art examples of microfabricated chemical sensors and biosensors are given. The advantages and disadvantages of either fabricating devices in IC fabrication technology with additional microfabrication steps, or of using custom-designed nonstandard microfabrication process flows are debated. Finally, monolithic integrated chemical and biological microsensor systems are presented, which include transducer structures and operation circuitry on a single chip.