Sharp, vertically aligned nanowire electrode arrays, high-yield fabrication and intracellular recording
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsShadi Dayeh, Ren Liu, Youngbin Tchoe
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Abstract
A nanowire electrode array has a plurality of vertical nanowires extending from a substrate, each of the nanowires including a core of unitary first dielectric material that also covers the substrate and is unitary with the substrate. Each core has a sharp sub-100 nm diameter tip and a wider base, electrode leads on sidewalls to the tip of the nanowire, and second dielectric covering the electrode leads. The tips in the array can penetrate individual cells in cell culture, such as a mini-brain culture. The substrate can include a window for simultaneous optical imaging and electrophysiological recording.
Claims18
A nanowire electrode array comprising a plurality of vertical nanowires extending from a substrate, each of the nanowires comprising a core of unitary first dielectric material that also covers the substrate and is unitary with the substrate, each core having a sharp sub-100 nm diameter dielectric tip and a wider base, a conductive layer coated on the core and extending to completely cover the dielectric tip to form a sharp exposed conductive tip of the nanowire, and a second dielectric covering electrode lead portions of the conductive layer below the sharp exposed conductive tip.
A method for forming a nanowire electrode array comprising a plurality of vertical nanowires extending from a substrate, the method comprising:
- etching a substrate in a pattern that forms vertical cores of material extending away from remaining unetched portions of the substrate;
- thinning and converting the vertical cores and a surface of the substrate into first dielectric such that each core includes a sharp sub-100 nm diameter dielectric tip and a wider base;
- coating the vertical cores with a conductive layer that extends to a sharp exposed conductive tip over the dielectric tip;
- and
- protecting electrode lead portions of the conductive layer on a base portion below the exposed conductive tip with a second dielectric while leaving the exposed conductive tip uncovered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.