On the modeling of new tunnel junction magnetoresistive biosensors

De Almeida T.M., Piedade M.S., Sousa L.A., Germano J., Lopes P.A.C., Cardoso F.A., Freitas P.P.
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-RandD (INESC-ID), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal; Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal; INESC-ID, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal; Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-Microsistemas and Nanotecnologias (INESC-MN), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal; INESC-MN, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal

Abstract: A fully integrated biochip based on a 16 X 16 scalable matrix structure of aluminum oxide magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) and thin-film diodes (TFDs of hydrogenated amorphous silicon) was fabricated and included as the biosensor of a portable handheld microsystem developed for biomolecular recognition detection using magnetic labels [deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization, antibody antigen interaction, etc.]. The system uses magnetic field arraying of magnetically tagged biomolecules and can potentially be used to detect single or few biomolecules. Each biosensor matrix node is the series between a TFD (p-i-n or Schottky-barrier type) and an MTJ. In this paper, this matrix basic cell biosensor element is completely characterized and modeled. Experimental measured data are provided and compared with the proposed theoretical models results. It is shown that the diode may be used both as the matrix switching device and as an in-site temperature sensor and that the MTJ may act as the magnetoresistive sensor for detecting the fringe field of immobilized magnetic markers. Therefore, the fabricated fully integrated biochip included in the developed handheld microsystem may be used for biomolecular recognition. © 2009 IEEE.
Author Keywords: Biomedical transducers; Magnetoresistive devices; P-i-n diodes; Schottky diodes; System modeling

Year: 2010
Source title: IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement
Volume: 59
Issue: 1
Art. No.: 5325788
Page : 92-100
Cited by: 1
Link: Scorpus Link
Document Type: Conference Paper
Source: Scopus
 Authors with affiliations:
  1. De Almeida, T.M., Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-RandD (INESC-ID), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
  2. Piedade, M.S., Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-RandD (INESC-ID), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
  3. Sousa, L.A., Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-RandD (INESC-ID), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
  4. Germano, J., INESC-ID, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
  5. Lopes, P.A.C., Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-RandD (INESC-ID), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
  6. Cardoso, F.A., Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores-Microsistemas and Nanotecnologias (INESC-MN), Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
  7. Freitas, P.P., Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal, INESC-MN, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal
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