title: Alternative post-processing on a CMOS chip to fabricate a planar microelectrode array.
abstract: We present an alternative post-processing on a CMOS chip to release a planar microelectrode array (pMEA) integrated with its signal readout circuit, which can be used for monitoring the neuronal activity of vestibular ganglion neurons in newborn Wistar strain rats. This chip is fabricated through a 0.6 μm CMOS standard process and it has 12 pMEA through a 4 × 3 electrodes matrix. The alternative CMOS post-process includes the development of masks to protect the readout circuit and the power supply pads. A wet etching process eliminates the aluminum located on the surface of the p+ -type silicon. This silicon is used as transducer for recording the neuronal activity and as interface between the readout circuit and neurons. The readout circuit is composed of an amplifier and tunable bandpass filter, which is placed on a 0.015 mm2 silicon area. The tunable bandpass filter has a bandwidth of 98 kHz and a common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of 87 dB. These characteristics of the readout circuit are appropriate for neuronal recording applications.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Río Verde, Col. San Manuel, 72570, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. lhuerta@ece.buap.mx
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: López-Huerta
authors.forename: Agustín L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Herrera-May
authors.forename: Johan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Estrada-López
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuñiga-Islas
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cervantes-Sanchez
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: Blanca S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Soto-Cruz
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D008422:Materials Testing; D046228:Microarray Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012666:Semiconductors; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D014173:Transistors, Electronic; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D012825:Silicon