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US 6,477,479 B1Granted
Sensor array for rapid materials characterization
AssigneeSymyx Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPaul Mansky, James Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor-array based materials characterization apparatus for characterizing one or more material properties of at least five test samples, wherein the apparatus includes a sensor array disposed on a substrate; electronic test circuitry for sending electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the sensor array; electronic circuitry for routing signals between selected sensors and the electronic test circuitry; and a computer or processor electrically coupled to electronic test circuitry and electronic circuitry.
Claims12
An apparatus for characterizing one or more thermal properties for each of 5 or more samples, comprising:
- a substrate;
- 5 or more sensors disposed on said substrate to form a sensor array, wherein each sensor forming said sensor array is associated with one of said 5 or more samples and characterizes at least one thermal property of said associated sample and at least one sensor in said sensor array comprises:
- a sample support having a thermal measurement pattern disposed thereon;
- a gap between said sample support and said substrate for thermally isolating said sample support from said substrate;
- and
- one or more bridges connecting said sample support to substrate over said gap;
- and
- electronic circuitry electronically coupled to said sensor array for sending signals to and receiving signals from said 5 or more sensors, wherein said signals received from said 5 or more sensors carry information allowing the determination of said at least one thermal property of said associated sample.
5 more elements
An apparatus for characterizing one or more electrical transport properties for each of 5 or more samples, comprising:
- a substrate;
- 5 or more sensors disposed on said substrate to form a sensor array, wherein each sensor forming said sensor array is associated with at least one of said 5 or more samples and characterizes at least one electrical transport property of said associated sample;
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled to said sensor array for sending signals to and receiving signals from said 5 or more sensors, wherein said signals received from said 5 or more sensors carry information allowing determination of at least one electrical transport property for at least one sample of said 5 or more samples;
- and
- a magnet array for generating a magnetic field pointing perpendicular to said substrate, wherein said magnet array is arranged in the same format as said 5 or more sensors in said sensor array and each magnet in said magnet array corresponds with a sensor in said sensor array to generate a magnetic field over a corresponding sensor of said sensor array.
2 more elements
An apparatus for characterizing one or more material properties for each of 5 or more samples, comprising:
- a substrate;
- 5 or more sensors disposed on said substrate to form a sensor array, wherein said 5 or more sensors in said sensor array are arranged in a format compatible with combinatorial chemistry instrumentation and each sensor of said sensor array is associated with at least one of said 5 or more samples and characterizes at least one material property of said associated at least one sample, said sensors in said sensor array being attached to said substrate via a plurality of sensor plates disposed in an array format and extending generally perpendicularly from said substrate such that said 5 or more sensors can be dipped simultaneously into a plurality of wells having the same format, wherein a film of said associated at least one sample can be formed on each sensor of said 5 or more sensors and said each sensor characterizes at least one material property of said film of said associated sample;
- and
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled to said sensor array for sending signals to and receiving signals from said 5 or more sensors, wherein said signals received from said 5 or more sensors carry information allowing the determination of at least one material property of said associated at least one sample.
1 more element
An apparatus for characterizing one or more thermal properties for each of 5 or more samples, comprising:
- a substrate;
- 5 or more sensors disposed on said substrate to form a sensor array, wherein said sensor array comprises:
- a microthin film membrane supported by said substrate such that said sensor array is an array of microthin film windows;
- a first wire disposed on said microthin film membrane, said first wire acting as a heater and a first thermometer;
- and
- a second wire spaced apart from said first wire and disposed on said substrate, said second wire acting as a second thermometer;
- 5 or more samples deposited on said sensor array forming an array of samples on said sensor array, wherein each sensor of said 5 or more sensors is associated with at least one sample of said array of samples and characterizes at least one thermal property of said associated at least one sample;
- and
- means for coupling said sensor array with electronic circuitry for sending signals to and receiving signals from said 5 or more sensors, wherein said signals received from said 5 or more sensors carry information allowing the determination of said at least one thermal property of said 5 or more sensors.
6 more elements
An apparatus for characterizing one or more thermal properties for each of 5 or more samples, comprising:
- a substrate, wherein said substrate is a silicon wafer;
- 5 or more sensors disposed on said substrate to form a sensor array, wherein each sensor in said sensor array comprises:
- a microthin film membrane supported by said substrate such that said sensor array is an array of microthin film windows, wherein said microthin film membrane is a silicon nitride membrane;
- a plurality of thermometers disposed on a top surface of said substrate, and wherein said substrate comprises a large area heater disposed on a bottom surface of said substrate;
- a first wire disposed on said microthin film membrane, said first wire acting as a heater and a first thermometer;
- and
- a second wire spaced apart from said first wire and disposed on said substrate, said second wire acting as a second thermometer;
- 5 or more samples deposited on said sensor array forming an array of samples on said sensor array, wherein each sensor of said 5 or more sensors is associated with at least one sample of said array of samples and characterizes at least one thermal property of said associated at least one sample;
- and
- means for coupling said sensor array with electronic circuitry for sending signals to and receiving signals from said 5 or more sensors, wherein said signals received from said 5 or more sensors carry information allowing the determination of said at least one thermal property of said 5 or more samples.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.