# US 10,309,922 B2 · Device for detecting chemical/physical phenomenon

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- Number: US 10,309,922 B2
- Document ID: US10309922B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/555,740
- Filed: 2016-02-19
- Published: 2018-02-22
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-19
- Assignees: National University Corporation Toyohashi University of Technology
- Applicants: National University Corporation Toyohashi University of Technology
- Inventors: Fumihiro Dasai; Kazuaki Sawada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309922B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/3278: {involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanogaps or nanoparticles (nanopores G01N33/48721; magnetic beads G01N27/745)}
- G01N 21/00: Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light (G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence)
- G01N 27/414: Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS
- G01N 27/4145: {specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors}
- G01N 27/4148: {Integrated circuits therefor, e.g. fabricated by CMOS processing}
- G01N 33/5438: {Electrodes}
- H10D 30/60: Insulated-gate field-effect transistors [IGFET] (H10D30/40 takes precedence)
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/425: {Barrier, adhesion or liner layers}
- H10W 20/47: comprising two or more dielectric layers having different properties, e.g. different dielectric constants
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Proposed is a device for detecting a chemical/physical phenomenon, in which, via a novel scheme, charges are accumulated in a charge accumulation region. An amount of charges thus accumulated reflects the potential of a sensing region and the potential corresponds to an external environment (chemical phenomenon or physical phenomenon) to be detected. A charge accumulation region 5 includes a first potential well region FD1 that is continuous with a sensing region 3, the boundary potential of the charges held in the first potential well region FD1 being made equal to the potential of the sensing region 3, whereby the potential of the sensing region 3 is made to be reflected in the amount of charges held in the first potential well region FD1.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for controlling chemical or physical phenomenon detecting device, wherein the device comprises a semiconductor substrate in which a sensing region and a charge accumulation region are partitioned, a potential of the sensing region changes in accordance with a change in an external environment, and an amount of charges reflecting the potential of the sensing region is accumulated in the charge accumulation region and the accumulated charges are detected
wherein the charge accumulation region comprises a first potential well region continuous with the sensing region, a second potential well region, and an analog gate region positioned between the first potential well region and the second potential well region,
wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a charge input region for supplying charges to the sensing region, and
an input charge control region formed between the charge input region and the sensing region to adjust the supply of charges from the charge input region to the sensing region, and the sensing region has photosensitivity,
the method comprising:
a sensing step for making the boundary potential of charges in the first potential well region equal to the potential of the sensing region; and
a step for making setting absolute potential values of the analog gate region and the input charge control region such that the input charge control region <the analog gate region ≤the sensing region,
a step for transferring charges generated in response to incident light in the sensing region to the second potential well region via the analog gate region, and
a detecting step for detecting an amount of the charges held in the first potential well region in the sensing step.

### Claim 2

A chemical or physical phenomenon detecting device comprising a semiconductor substrate containing a sensing region and a charge accumulation region, wherein:
the charge accumulation region comprises a first potential well region which is adjacent to, and spatially contiguous with, the sensing region;
an electrical potential of the sensing region changes in response to a change in an external environment in communication with the sensing region;
the sensing region and accumulation region are jointly configured and arranged such that, when a boundary electrical potential of the first potential well is equal to the electrical potential of the sensing region, an amount of charge corresponding to the electrical potential of the sensing region collects in the accumulation region in the absence of any voltage externally applied to any of the first potential well and the sensing region; and
an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of charge collected in the accumulation region is produced at an electrical output terminal of the device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A chemical or physical phenomenon detection device according to claim 2, wherein the charge accumulation region further includes:
a second potential well region, and an analog gate region positioned between the first potential well region and the second potential well region;
wherein the first and second potential well regions are jointly configured and arranged such that the amount of charge collected in the accumulation region is transferred from the first potential well region to the second potential well region by adjusting the electric potential of the analog gate region; and
wherein the electrical signal corresponding to the amount of charge collected in the accumulation region is produced according to an amount of charge collected in the second potential well.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

A chemical or physical phenomenon detection device according to claim 2 wherein the semiconductor substrate further contains:
a charge input region for supplying charges to the sensing region;
an input charge control region formed between the charge input region and the sensing region to adjust the supply of charges from the charge input region to the sensing region; and
a third potential well region positioned between the input charge control region and sensing region and formed adjacent to, and contiguous with, the sensing region.

### Claim 5

A method of measuring a chemical or physical phenomenon using a chemical or physical phenomenon detecting device wherein:
the device comprises a semiconductor substrate containing a sensing region, a charge accumulation region, and an electrical output terminal;
the charge accumulation region comprises a first potential well region which is adjacent to, and spatially contiguous with, the sensing region;
an electrical potential of the sensing region changes in response to a change in an external environment in communication with the sensing region; and
the sensing region and accumulation region are jointly configured and arranged such that, when a boundary electrical potential of the first potential well is equal to the electrical potential of the sensing region, an amount of charge corresponding to the electrical potential of the sensing region collects in the accumulation region in the absence of any voltage externally applied to any of the first potential well and the sensing region;
the method comprising:
(i) during a sensing step, configuring the electrical boundary potential of the first potential well to equal the electrical potential of the sensing region; and
(ii) during a detection step following the sensing step, producing an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of charge collected in the accumulation region at the electrical output terminal of the device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method of measuring a chemical or physical phenomenon using a chemical or physical phenomenon detecting device according to claim 5 wherein the sensing region is sensitive to light;
wherein the sensing step further includes configuring respective absolute potential values of the analog gate region and the input charge control region such that an electric potential of the input charge control region <an electric potential of the analog gate region ≤the electrical potential of the sensing region, and
wherein the method further includes, after the sensing step and before the detection step, transferring charges generated in response to incident light in the sensing region to the second potential well region via the analog gate region.