Amorphous silicon based p-i-i-n photodetectors for point-of-care testing

Modern medical diagnostics demands point-of-care testing (POCT) systems for quick tests in clinical or out-patient environments. This investigation combines the Reflectometric Interference Spectroscopy (RIfS) with thin film technology for a highly sensitive, direct optical and label-free detection of proteins, e.g. inflammation or cardiovascular markers. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) based thin film photodetectors replace the so far needed spectrometer and permit downsizing of the POCT system. Photodetectors with p-i-i-n structure adjust their spectral sensitivity according to the applied read-out voltage. The use of amorphous silicon carbide in the p-type and the first intrinsic layer enhances the sensitivity through very low dark currents of the photodetectors and enables the adjustment of their absorption characteristics. Integrating the thin film photodetectors on the rear side of the RIfS substrate eliminates optical losses and distortions, as compared to the standard RIfS setup. An integrated Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip performs a current-frequency conversion to accurately detect the photocurrent of up to eight parallel photodetector channels. In addition to the optimization of the photo-detectors, this contribution presents first successful direct optical and label-free RIfS measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer in buffer solution in physiological relevant concentrations. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)