Silicon wafer with photonics biosensorchips. Image: imec |
Imec and Genalyte announce that they have successfully
developed and produced a set of disposable silicon photonics biosensor chips to
be used in Genalyte diagnostic and molecular detection equipment. The chips
combine imec’s standard silicon (Si) photonic waveguide devices with bio-compatible
modifications jointly developed by imec and Genalyte. These chips allow for
high levels of multiplexed biosensing due to the high integration level of Si
photonics.
The Si-photonics biosensor chips were realized at imec, as
part of imec’s silicon photonics CMORE service. A bio-compatible passivation
technology was developed on 200-mm waferscale, the chips were tested in the
field, and proven to meet Genalyte’s functional requirements with high yields.
The chips contain up to 128 proprietary ring resonator sensors coated by
Genalyte with application-specific chemistry to create very sensitive molecular
detection capability. On-chip grating couplers are used to couple the infrared
light from and to Genalyte’s diagnostic equipment.