XPS and AFM characterization of the enzyme glucose oxidase immobilized on SiO(2) surfaces

A process to immobilize the enzyme glucose oxidase on SiO2 surfaces for the realization of integrated microbiosensors was developed. The sample characterization was performed by monitoring, step by step, oxide activation, silanization, linker molecule (glutaraldehyde) deposition, and enzyme immobilization by means of XPS, AFM, and contact angle measurements. The control of the environment during the procedure, to prevent silane polymerization, and the use of oxide activation to obtain a uniform enzyme layer are issues of crucial importance. The correct protocol application gives a uniform layer of the linker molecule and the maximum sample surface coverage. This result is fundamental for maximizing the enzyme bonding sites on the sample surface and achieving the maximum surface coverage. Thin SiO2 layers thermally grown on a Si substrate were used. The XPS Si 2p signal of the substrate was monitored during immobilization. Such a signal is not completely shielded by the thin oxide layer and it is fully suppressed after the completion of the whole protocol. A power spectral density analysis on the AFM measurements showed the crucial role of both the oxide activation and the intermediate steps (silanization and linker molecule deposition) to obtain uniform immobilized enzyme coverage. Finally, enzymatic activity measurements confirmed the suitability of the optimized protocol.     

Feasibility analysis of laser action in erbium-doped siliconwaveguides

The authors analyze the feasibility of laser action in erbium-doped silicon devices. The recent experimental results on spontaneous light emission at 1.54 μm from erbium doped silicon diodes and theoretical calculation on Bragg grating technology are used to evaluate the best scenario performances. The effects of processes-induced errors on the threshold conditions are taken into account. They show that laser action in the Er:Si system is feasible     

Design and fabrication of integrated Si-based optoelectronic devices

We have designed and fabricated novel Si-based optoelectronic devices. To this aim, different Si-based optical sources have been made and their performances at room temperature compared. Er-doped Si p–n junctions, operating at 1.54 μm and exhibiting an efficiency of 0.05% at room temperature, have been integrated with planar Si rib waveguides using either epitaxial Si or silicon on insulators (SOI) wafers. Optical characterization of these waveguides reveals very low transmission losses (below 1 dB/cm). However, Er-doping of the waveguide core, needed for the realization of the light source, results in a large increase of the losses as a consequence of absorption by the free electrons introduced by the rare earths. These losses can be suppressed when the junction is reverse biased and the whole Er profile is embodied in the depletion layer. Since this also allows efficient pumping of Er ions by hot carriers, the performances of the diodes and of the waveguides can be suitably combined. This optimized structure has also been used to design electrically pumped optical amplifiers and lasers, whose performances have been simulated.     

Experimental characterization of proteins immobilized on Si-based materials

We studied the possibility to use techniques that are traditionally employed in microelectronics to detect biological molecules immobilized on and into Si-based materials having, as final goal, the structural characterization of a glucose biosensor. The inorganic immobilization surfaces used were both bulk and porous silicon dioxide and the biological molecule to monitor was the enzyme glucose oxidase, widely used as a sensing element in glucose biosensors. Bulk SiO₂ was used to optimize the immobilization protocol and the step-by-step characterization was mainly carried out by Atomic Force Microscopy measurements. Once optimized, the same protocol was used to anchor the enzyme in a porous Si dioxide matrix. Traditional measurement techniques may fail in biological molecule detection since C, basic element of such biological molecules, is present in Si as a contaminant, or introduced during sample preparation, e.g. for TEM cross section analysis.The enzyme monitoring was carried out by electron diffraction X-ray measurements coupled with scanning electron microscopy and to be sure of the protein presence, it was previously labelled with gold nano particles. We believe that this last measurement technique could be implemented for quantitative direct measurements of the biological molecules concentration in complex matrixes.     

Effects of implantation defects on the carrier concentration of 6H-SiC

The effects of ion irradiation defects on the carrier concentration of 6H-SiC epitaxial layer were studied by current–voltage (I–V), capacitance.-voltage (C–V) measurements, thermally stimulated capacitance and deep level transient spectroscopy. The defects were produced by irradiation with 10 MeV C⁺ at a fluence of 10¹¹ ions/cm² and subsequent thermal annealings were carried out in the temperature range 500–1700 K under N₂ flux. I–V and C–V measurements reveal the presence of a high defect concentration after irradiation and annealing at temperature lower than 1000 K. Thermally stimulated capacitance measurements show that some of the defects induce a deactivation of the nitrogen donor, while some of the generated defects, behaving as donor-like traps, contribute to increase the material free carrier concentration at temperatures above their freezing point. Deep level transient spectroscopy measurements performed in the temperature range 150–450 K show the presence of several overlapping traps after ion irradiation and annealing at 1000 K: these traps suffer a recovery and a transformation at higher temperatures. The annealing of all traps at temperatures as high as 1700 K allows one to completely restore the n-type conductivity. The defects mainly responsible of the observed change in the carrier concentration are identified. PACS 73.30.+y; 61.80.Jh; 61.82.Fk; 85.30.Hi     

Layer uniformity in glucose oxidase immobilization on SiO2 surfaces

The goal of this work was the characterization, step by step, of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilization on silicon oxide surfaces, mainly by means of X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The immobilization protocol consists of four steps: oxide activation, silanization, linker molecule deposition and GOx immobilization. The linker molecule, glutaraldehyde (GA) in this study, must be able to form a uniform layer on the sample surface in order to maximize the sites available for enzyme bonding and achieve the best enzyme deposition. Using a thin SiO₂ layer grown on Si wafers and following the XPS Si2p signal of the Si substrate during the immobilization steps, we demonstrated both the glutaraldehyde layer uniformity and the possibility to use XPS to monitor thin layer uniformity. In fact, the XPS substrate signal, not shielded by the oxide, is suppressed only when a uniform layer is deposited. The enzyme correct immobilization was monitored using the XPS C1s and N1s signals. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements carried out on the same samples confirmed the results.     

Design and performance of an erbium-doped silicon waveguide detector operating at 1.5 /spl mu/m

A new concept for an infrared waveguide detector based on silicon is introduced. It is fabricated using silicon-on-insulator material, and consists of an erbium-doped p-n junction located in the core of a silicon ridge waveguide. The detection scheme relies on the optical absorption of 1.5-/spl mu/m light by Er/sup 3+/ ions in the waveguide core, followed by electron-hole pair generation by the excited Er and subsequent carrier separation by the electric field of the p-n junction. By performing optical mode calculations and including realistic doping profiles, we show that an external quantum efficiency of 10/sup -3/ can be achieved in a 4-cm-long waveguide detector fabricated using standard silicon processing. It is found that the quantum efficiency of the detector is mainly limited by free carrier absorption in the waveguide core, and may be further enhanced by optimizing the electrical doping profiles. Preliminary photocurrent measurements on an erbium-doped Si waveguide detector at room temperature show a clear erbium related photocurrent at 1.5 /spl mu/m.     

Experimental evidences of carrier distribution and behavior in frequency in a BMFET Modulator

We propose a novel method to monitor the carrier plasma distribution in a bipolar mode field effect transistor light modulator, using standard emission microscopy. Our bi-dimensional maps validate the theoretical predictions of plasma distribution as a function of the device bias. Dynamical measurements provide an experimental evidence of a frequency threshold in the electric field induced plasma distribution. Below 500 kHz generation/recombination processes while above drift phenomena allow the plasma localization in the device. An effective carrier lifetime /spl ges/2 /spl mu/s was extrapolated.