Sensors 2011, 11(11), 10940-10957; doi:10.3390/s111110940
Article

Alternative Post-Processing on a CMOS Chip to Fabricate a Planar Microelectrode Array

Francisco López-Huerta 1,* email, Agustín L. Herrera-May 2 email, Johan J. Estrada-López 3 email, Carlos Zuñiga-Islas 4 email, Blanca Cervantes-Sanchez 5 email, Enrique Soto 5 email and Blanca S. Soto-Cruz 6 email
1 Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Río Verde, Col. San Manuel, 72570, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico 2 Centro de Investigación en Micro y Nanotecnología, Universidad Veracruzana, Calzada Ruiz Cortines 455, 94292, Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico 3 Facultad de Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Anillo Periférico Norte, Tablaje Cat., 13613, Col. Chuburná Hidalgo Inn, Merida, Yucatán, Mexico 4 Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Calle Luis Enrique Erro 1, 72840, Tonazintla, Puebla, Mexico 5 Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio 6301, Col. San Manuel, 72570, Puebla, Puebla, México 6 Centro de Investigación en Dispositivos Semiconductores, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. 14 Sur y San Claudio, Col. San Manuel, 72570, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 24 October 2011; in revised form: 9 November 2011 / Accepted: 18 November 2011 / Published: 22 November 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochips)
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Abstract: We present an alternative post-processing on a CMOS chip to release a planar microelectrode array (pMEA) integrated with its signal readout circuit, which can be used for monitoring the neuronal activity of vestibular ganglion neurons in newborn Wistar strain rats. This chip is fabricated through a 0.6 µm CMOS standard process and it has 12 pMEA through a 4  ´ 3 electrodes matrix. The alternative CMOS post-process includes the development of masks to protect the readout circuit and the power supply pads. A wet etching process eliminates the aluminum located on the surface of the p+-type silicon. This silicon is used as transducer for recording the neuronal activity and as interface between the readout circuit and neurons. The readout circuit is composed of an amplifier and tunable bandpass filter, which is placed on a 0.015 mm2 silicon area. The tunable bandpass filter has a bandwidth of 98 kHz and a common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of 87 dB. These characteristics of the readout circuit are appropriate for neuronal recording applications.
Keywords: CMOS chip; microelectrode array; CMOS post-process; vestibular ganglion neurons

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

López-Huerta, F.; Herrera-May, A.L.; Estrada-López, J.J.; Zuñiga-Islas, C.; Cervantes-Sanchez, B.; Soto, E.; Soto-Cruz, B.S. Alternative Post-Processing on a CMOS Chip to Fabricate a Planar Microelectrode Array. Sensors 2011, 11, 10940-10957.

AMA Style

López-Huerta F, Herrera-May AL, Estrada-López JJ, Zuñiga-Islas C, Cervantes-Sanchez B, Soto E, Soto-Cruz BS. Alternative Post-Processing on a CMOS Chip to Fabricate a Planar Microelectrode Array. Sensors. 2011; 11(11):10940-10957.

Chicago/Turabian Style

López-Huerta, Francisco; Herrera-May, Agustín L.; Estrada-López, Johan J.; Zuñiga-Islas, Carlos; Cervantes-Sanchez, Blanca; Soto, Enrique; Soto-Cruz, Blanca S. 2011. "Alternative Post-Processing on a CMOS Chip to Fabricate a Planar Microelectrode Array." Sensors 11, no. 11: 10940-10957.

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