Design, simulation and testing of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer-based phospholipidic biosensor elements

Abstract

In this study we present theoretical proof of the principle of using interdigital capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUT IDTs) for the detection of phospholipid membrane elasticity. Proof of principle was needed to find out whether the new type of microelectromechanical sensors of the toxins incorporated with the lipid membranes was feasible. CMUT IDTs for 10 MHz operation in water, with 146 µm spaced double fingers were designed and fabricated using the surface micromachining technique. Fabricated CMUTs were tested for their resonance in air and for Scholte-type wave transmission in deionized water and isopropanol solutions containing 0%, 10% and 20% water. The amplitude and phase velocity of the excited and received Scholte waves were measured in a 200 µm height microchannel, capped with a thick layer of soft polymer, which suppressed the production of non-informative guided waves. It was determined that the average sensitivity of Scholte wave phase velocity within the given range of solution concentrations is 2.9 m s−1 per one percent. Experimental data were also used to verify the adequacy of the finite element model, which was found to be suitable for reliable prediction of the phospholipid membrane elasticity impact on the Scholte wave phase velocity or the resonance frequency in the present IDT structure. It was determined that for the analyzed conditions (the elasticity of simulated phospholipid membrane changed from 1 to 5 GPa) the sensitivity of the measurement channel is expected to be no worse than 2 kHz GPa−1 in terms of the Scholte wave and CMUT IDT resonance frequency. This leads to a positive conclusion on the feasibility of the new sensor type.