# US 10,309,924 B2 · Floating gate based sensor apparatus and related floating gate based sensor applications

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- Number: US 10,309,924 B2
- Document ID: US10309924B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/896,010
- Filed: 2014-06-09
- Published: 2016-05-12
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-07
- Assignees: Cornell University
- Applicants: Cornell University
- Inventors: Krishna Jayant; Edwin C. Kan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309924B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/4145: {specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors}
- C12Q 1/6869: Methods for sequencing
- C12Q 1/703: {Viruses associated with AIDS}
- G01N 27/4146: {involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires}
- H10D 30/6892: {having at least one additional gate other than the floating gate and the control gate, e.g. program gate, erase gate or select gate}
- H10D 64/514: {characterised by the insulating layers}
- C12Q 2600/158: Expression markers
- 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)
- C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A floating gate based sensor apparatus includes at least two separate electrical bias components with respect to a floating gate based sensor surface within the floating gate based sensor apparatus. By including the at least two electrical bias components, the floating gate based sensor apparatus provides enhanced capabilities for biomaterial and non-biomaterial detection and manipulation while using the floating gate based sensor apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multi-gate transistor sensor comprising:
a substrate layer structured to be underneath and in physical contact with a portion of a floating gate layer, wherein a first dielectric layer lies between the substrate layer and another portion of the floating gate layer;
a sensing gate layer structured to be on top of the floating gate layer with a second dielectric layer lying between the floating gate layer and the sensing gate layer;
a control gate structured to be on top of the floating gate layer with the oxide layer between the floating gate layer and the control gate, wherein the floating gate layer is capacitively coupled to the control gate and the sensing gate layer;
a liquid sample chamber structured to be on top of the sensing gate layer; and
a reference electrode in the liquid sample chamber, wherein the reference electrode is in physical contact with the liquid and the sensing gate layer is in physical contact with the liquid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the control gate is adjacent to the sensing gate layer and separated from the liquid sample chamber by a passivation layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the control gate and the sensing gate layer are capacitively coupled to the floating gate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer have different thicknesses.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer have different dielectric constants.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensing gate layer comprises one or more of a dielectric material, a conductor material, a metal conductor material, or a polysilicon conductor material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a bulk semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The sensor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control gate electrically biases the sensing gate layer with respect to the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the reference electrode electrically biases a sample within the liquid chamber with respect to the sensing gate layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the reference electrode electrically biases a sample within the liquid chamber with respect to the sensing gate layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein a coupling capacitance between the reference electrode and a fluid in the liquid sample chamber is larger than a sensing gate capacitance between the sensing gate layer and the fluid.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein with respect to the substrate, the reference electrode is biased with a direct current potential that is positive or negative, or biased with the direct current bias with a superimposed alternating current bias.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the reference electrode is electrically coupled to the substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the reference electrode is electrically floating with respect to substrate layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 14, wherein the control gate is biased with respect to the substrate layer to enable electron tunneling from the substrate layer to the floating gate layer or from the floating gate layer to the control gate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein electron tunneling out of the floating gate layer to the control gate leaves a net positive charge on the floating gate layer and a positive electric field with respect to the reference electrode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein electron tunneling into the floating gate layer causes a negative electric field with respect to reference electrode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein a charge on the floating gate layer attracts or repels a biomolecule on a surface of the sensing gate layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein a charge on the floating gate layer causes a new electric field in the second dielectric with respect to the reference electrode and the substrate layer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein a charge on the floating gate layer electrically stimulates one or more cells.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 1, wherein the reference electrode is biased with an alternating current signal and the control gate is biased by a direct current signal.

### Claim 23

A multi-gate transistor sensor comprising:
a gate layer structured to be underneath and in physical contact with a first dielectric layer;
a floating gate layer structured to be on top of the first dielectric layer, wherein a second dielectric layer is structured to be on top of the floating gate layer;
a sensing layer structured to be on top of the second dielectric layer, wherein the floating gate is capacitively coupled to the floating gate layer and the sensing gate;
a liquid sample chamber structured to be on top of the sensing gate layer; and
a reference electrode above the sensing layer so that when liquid is in the liquid sample chamber, the reference electrode is in physical contact with the liquid and the sensing layer is in physical contact with the liquid, wherein a charge on the floating gate layer attracts or repels a biomolecule on a surface of the sensing layer.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 23, wherein the control gate and the sensing layer are capacitively coupled to the floating gate.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 23, wherein the sensing layer comprises one or more of a dielectric material, a conductor material, a metal conductor material, or a polysilicon conductor material.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 23, wherein the reference electrode is structured to electrically bias a sample within the liquid chamber with respect to the sensing layer.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The multi-gate transistor sensor of claim 23, wherein the reference electrode electrically biases a sample within the liquid chamber with respect to the sensing layer.