Sensors 2008, 8(2), 711-738; doi:10.3390/s8020711
Review

Evanescent field Sensors Based on Tantalum Pentoxide Waveguides – A Review

Katrin Schmitt 1 , Kerstin Oehse 2 , Gerd Sulz 1  and Christian Hoffmann 2,* email
1 Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques, Heidenhofstr. 8, 79110 Freiburg, Germany 2 Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques, Rosenhof, 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 5 November 2007 / Accepted: 29 January 2008 / Published: 6 January 2008
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Biosensors)
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Abstract: Evanescent field sensors based on waveguide surfaces play an important rolewhere high sensitivity is required. Particularly tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) is a suitablematerial for thin-film waveguides due to its high refractive index and low attenuation.Many label-free biosensor systems such as grating couplers and interferometric sensors aswell as fluorescence-based systems benefit from this waveguide material leading toextremely high sensitivity. Some biosensor systems based on Ta2O5 waveguides alreadytook the step into commercialization. This report reviews the various detection systems interms of limit of detection, the applications, and the suitable surface chemistry.
Keywords: biosensors; evanescent field; label-free detection; Ta2O5.

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Schmitt, K.; Oehse, K.; Sulz, G.; Hoffmann, C. Evanescent field Sensors Based on Tantalum Pentoxide Waveguides – A Review. Sensors 2008, 8, 711-738.

AMA Style

Schmitt K, Oehse K, Sulz G, Hoffmann C. Evanescent field Sensors Based on Tantalum Pentoxide Waveguides – A Review. Sensors. 2008; 8(2):711-738.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Schmitt, Katrin; Oehse, Kerstin; Sulz, Gerd; Hoffmann, Christian. 2008. "Evanescent field Sensors Based on Tantalum Pentoxide Waveguides – A Review." Sensors 8, no. 2: 711-738.

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