# US 10,481,126 B2 · Electrolyte-gated transistors for detection of molecules

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- Number: US 10,481,126 B2
- Document ID: US10481126B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/503,277
- Filed: 2015-08-13
- Published: 2017-08-17
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-14
- Assignees: Regents of the University of Minnesota
- Applicants: Regents of the University of Minnesota
- Inventors: Scott P. White; C. Daniel Frisbie; Kevin D. Dorfman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481126B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/4145: {specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors}
- C12Q 1/6869: Methods for sequencing
- G01N 27/4161: {measuring the voltage and using a constant current supply, e.g. chronopotentiometry}
- G01N 33/48721: {Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores (Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68)}
- H10K 10/471: {the gate dielectric comprising only organic materials}
- H10K 10/482: {the IGFET comprising multiple separately-addressable gate electrodes}
- 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
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES

## Abstract

The disclosure describes methods, devices, and system that measure chemisorption potentiometrically for detection of target molecules. In one example, a device includes a semiconductor, an ionic conducting electronic insulator coupled to the semiconductor, a floating gate electrode comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being coupled to the semiconductor via the ionic conducting electronic insulator, an aqueous buffer, and a primary gate electrode coupled to the second portion of the floating gate electrode via the aqueous buffer. The second portion of the floating gate electrode may comprise a probe configured to react with a target chemical composition of a molecule to detect the presence of the molecule. Reaction with the target chemical composition may change an electrical property of the device and indicate the presence of the molecule in the aqueous buffer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a semiconductor;
an ionic conducting electronic insulator coupled to the semiconductor;
a floating gate electrode comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being coupled to the semiconductor via the ionic conducting electronic insulator;
an aqueous buffer; and
a primary gate electrode coupled to the second portion of the floating gate electrode via the aqueous buffer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor comprises an organic semiconductor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the ionic conducting electronic insulator comprises a plurality of electrolyte dielectrics.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of electrolyte dielectrics insulates one or more surfaces of the floating gate electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises a surface chemically bound to a plurality of probe molecules.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein each probe molecule of the plurality of probe molecules comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each probe molecule being chemically bound to the surface of the floating gate electrode, and the second portion of each probe molecule comprising an affinity reagent configured to bind to a target chemical composition.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the affinity reagent comprises at least one of a nucleic acid, a nucleic acid analog, a polypeptide, a protein, and an antibody.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein the surface of the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises the plurality of probe molecules and a plurality of blocking molecules, the blocking molecules configured to prevent non-specific adsorption.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the surface is chemically bound to the plurality of blocking molecules, the plurality of blocking molecules having a greater chemical affinity for the surface of the second portion of the floating gate electrode than unreacted probe molecules and displacing the unreacted probe molecules from the surface of the second portion of the floating gate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the blocking molecules comprise a chemical formula of HS(CH2)6OH.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises a surface functionalized with a self-assembled monolayer of molecules.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the self-assembled monolayer of molecules comprises molecules selected from the group of molecules comprising 6-mercapto-1-hexanol and 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-nonaflouro-1-hexanol.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the primary gate electrode is in direct contact with the aqueous buffer to capacitively couple the primary gate electrode to the second portion of the floating gate electrode via the aqueous buffer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a transistor, the transistor comprising the semiconductor, the ionic conducting electronic insulator, the floating gate electrode, the aqueous buffer; and the primary gate electrode.

### Claim 15

A system for detecting a molecule having a target chemical composition, the system comprising:
a semiconductor;
an ionic conducting electronic insulator coupled to the semiconductor;
a floating gate electrode comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being coupled to the semiconductor via the ionic conducting electronic insulator;
an aqueous buffer;
a primary gate electrode coupled to the second portion of the floating gate electrode via the aqueous buffer; and
one or more circuits configured to measure an electrical property based on a voltage change over the ionic conducting electronic insulator, and output an indication of the electrical property.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor comprises an organic semiconductor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the ionic conducting electronic insulator comprises a plurality of electrolyte dielectrics.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of electrolyte dielectrics insulates one or more surfaces of the floating gate electrode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises a surface chemically bound to a plurality of probe molecules.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein each probe molecule of the plurality of probe molecules comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each probe molecule being chemically bound to the surface of the second portion of the floating gate electrode, and the second portion of each probe molecule comprising an affinity reagent configured to bind to the target chemical composition.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the affinity reagent comprises at least one of a nucleic acid, a nucleic acid analog, a polypeptide, a protein, and an antibody.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the surface of the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises the plurality of probe molecules and a plurality of blocking molecules, the blocking molecules configured to prevent non-specific adsorption.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the primary gate electrode is in direct contact with the aqueous buffer to capacitively couple the primary gate electrode to the second portion of the floating gate electrode via the aqueous buffer.

### Claim 24

A method for detecting a molecule comprising a target chemical composition, the method comprising:
applying a voltage to a primary gate electrode of a device, the device comprising:
a source electrode and a drain electrode, the source electrode and the drain electrode being coupled to a semiconductor;
an ionic conducting electronic insulator coupled to the semiconductor;
a floating gate electrode comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being coupled to the semiconductor via the ionic conducting electronic insulator; and
an aqueous buffer, wherein the primary gate electrode is coupled to the second portion of the floating gate electrode via the aqueous buffer;
measuring an electrical property at the drain electrode;
determining, based on the measured electrical property, whether the target chemical composition of the molecule is present within the aqueous buffer; and
outputting an indication of the determination.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the ionic conducting electronic insulator comprises a plurality of electrolyte dielectrics.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of electrolyte dielectrics insulates one or more surfaces of the floating gate electrode.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises a surface chemically bound to a plurality of probe molecules.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein each probe molecule of the plurality of probe molecules comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each probe molecule being chemically bound to the surface of the second portion of the floating gate electrode, and the second portion of each probe molecule comprising an affinity reagent configured to bind to the target chemical composition.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the affinity reagent comprises at least one of a nucleic acid, a nucleic acid analog, a polypeptide, a protein, and an antibody.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the surface of the second portion of the floating gate electrode comprises the plurality of probe molecules and a plurality of blocking molecules, the blocking molecules configured to prevent non-specific adsorption.

### Claim 31 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein measuring the electrical property at the drain electrode comprises measuring an electrical current.

### Claim 32 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein outputting the indication of the determination comprises displaying at least one of a visible or audible signal via a user interface.

### Claim 33 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the device is a first device, and wherein determining, based on the measured electrical property, whether the target chemical composition of the molecule is present within the aqueous buffer comprises:
calculating a difference between the measured electrical property to a control electrical property of a second device similar to the first device, the first device comprising a sample of the target chemical composition of the molecule and the second device comprising a control solution void of the target chemical composition of the molecule; and
determining that the target chemical composition of the molecule is present within the aqueous buffer when the difference exceeds a threshold.