A microfabricated electronic microplate platform for low-cost repeatable biosensing applications

This work presents a disposable ‘electronic microplate’ (e-microplate) platform that enables the reusability of the corresponding CMOS biosensor thereby reducing cost and increasing throughput relative to non-disposable systems. The e-microplate utilizes mechanically-flexible interconnects (MFIs) and through-silicon-vias (TSVs) to electrically interconnect the electrodes on the CMOS biosensor to the electrodes on the e-microplate while maintaining a physical separation between the aforementioned substrate tiers. Measurements performed show that the incorporation of the e-microplate does not degrade the sensing amplifier's gain, 3dB bandwidth, or the input referred noise, and thus ensures the accurate sensing of weak signals from living cells under test. Impedance mapping for saline and Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline (DPBS) solutions performed through the e-microplate confirm functional accuracy of the assembled system.