AVS 52nd International Symposium
    DNA Topical Conference Monday Sessions
       Session DN+BI-MoA

Paper DN+BI-MoA2
Polymer Replicated Interdigitated Electrode Arrays and Their Application in Multiparameter Molecular Diagnostics

Monday, October 31, 2005, 2:20 pm, Room 311

Session: DNA Detection and Sensing
Presenter: W. Laureyn, IMEC, Belgium
Authors: W. Laureyn, IMEC, Belgium
J. Suls, IMEC, Belgium
K. Bonroy, IMEC, Belgium
G. Van Reybroeck, Innogenetics NV, Belgium
P. Jacobs, Innogenetics NV, Belgium
R. Rossau, Innogenetics NV, Belgium
P. Detemple, IMM GmbH, Germany
C. Van Hoof, IMEC, Belgium
Correspondent: Click to Email
The development of DNA-sensor devices attracts substantial research efforts directed to gene analysis, detection of genetic disorders, tissue matching, forensic applications, etc. The electronic transduction of the formation of nucleic acid/DNA complexes using electrodes or semiconductors could provide quantitative information on the DNA-analyte in the sample. InterDigitated Electrode (IDE) arrays show great promise for the label-free detection of nucleic acid hybridization. However, the search for a technology that allows the manufacturing of thin-film IDE arrays on polymers in an easy and affordable fashion, which is compatible with state-of-the-art microfluidics integration technology, has received little attention to date. This paper reports on an innovative method for the affordable manufacturing of polymer based arrays of IDEs with µm dimensions. The reported fabrication process is based on a single and directional metal deposition on an appropriate three-dimensional structure, which is realized in a polymer material using micro-injection molding. The molds are manufactured by electroplating as a reverse copy of a silicon master structure. Using a well-designed combination of so-called microchannels and bumps, a self-contained shadowing effect can be achieved resulting in separated IDE structures after directional metal deposition. In this paper, we report on the full experimental proof-of-principle of the production of such devices and on their further integration in a functional micro-fluidic device. As a demonstrator application, we are currently investigating the label-free detection of post-amplification nucleic acid targets. Using planar 1µm IDEs on silicon, fabricated using deep-UV lithography, we were able to discriminate the hybridization of a 1 nM, 261-nt-long PCR-sample (exon 2 of HLA-DQB) down to a single-base mismatch level. A proof-of-principle on DNA-detection with the molded polymer structures is expected mid 2005.