SiOX Coated Sensor Diaphragm for Gigaseal Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cell electrophysiological measurement devices face challenges in maintaining a high-resistance seal between the sensor chip and cells, leading to reduced measurement accuracy due to dissociation of silanol groups and adsorption of inhibiting substances on the surface, especially during storage.
Innovation Solution
A sensor chip with a diaphragm covered by a noncrystalline solid layer containing SiOX, where substance X has higher electronegativity than silicon, is used to enhance the hydrophilic properties and prevent silanol group dissociation, thereby improving the gigaseal success rate and storage stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor chip surface is left untreated or treated with conventional methods, then the initial gigaseal success rate can be achieved, but the gigaseal success rate decreases during storage due to silanol group dissociation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies surface treatment to change the chemical parameters of the sensor chip surface, specifically increasing the concentration of silanol groups (Si-OH) through plasma treatment or chemical etching. This parameter change ensures that the surface maintains sufficient hydrophilic groups even after storage, preventing the decrease in gigaseal success rate that would otherwise occur due to natural silanol group dissociation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary surface treatment (plasma treatment, chemical etching, or silane coupling agent application) before storage to pre-establish a stable surface composition with sufficient silanol groups. This preliminary action ensures that when the sensor chip is stored and subsequently used, the surface already has the necessary hydrophilic properties maintained, preventing later deterioration of gigaseal formation capability.
2Reliability
If the sensor chip surface is highly hydrophilic to improve cell attachment, then gigaseal success rate increases, but inhibiting substances are more readily adsorbed on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the hydrophilic surface parameters by controlling the concentration and distribution of silanol groups through plasma treatment power, treatment duration, or chemical etching conditions. By precisely adjusting these parameters, the surface achieves sufficient hydrophilicity for cell attachment while avoiding excessive hydrophilicity that would cause over-adsorption of inhibiting substances from the surrounding medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local quality variations on the sensor chip surface by controlling the spatial distribution of silanol groups. Through localized plasma treatment or selective etching, the surface regions that contact cells have optimized hydrophilic properties for gigaseal formation, while other regions have reduced affinity for adsorbing inhibiting substances, thus differentiating the surface properties to serve different functional requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution maintains a high gigaseal success rate and storage stability by preventing silanol group dissociation and adsorption of inhibiting substances, ensuring accurate cell attachment and measurement over time.
Implementation Method 1
a noncrystalline solid layer including SiOX as a main component, in which substance X is an element having higher electronegativity than that of silicon
Implementation Method 2
enhance the hydrophilic properties and prevent silanol group dissociation
Implementation Method 3
preventing silanol group dissociation
Implementation Method 4
preventing silanol group dissociation and adsorption of inhibiting substances
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor chip is a sensor device for measuring a property of a substance by adsorbing the substance on a surface of the sensor chip. The sensor chip includes a diaphragm having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one through hole penetrating from the first surface to the second surface. At least a part of the first surface, the second surface, and an inner wall surface of the through hole is covered with a noncrystalline solid layer including SiOX as a main component, in which substance X is an element having higher electronegativity than that of silicon.