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. 2013 May;48(5):1290-1301.
doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2013.2245058.

A 256 pixel magnetoresistive biosensor microarray in 0.18μm CMOS

Drew A Hall  1 , Richard S Gaster  1 , Kofi Makinwa  2 , Shan X Wang  1 , Boris Murmann  1
Affiliations

A 256 pixel magnetoresistive biosensor microarray in 0.18μm CMOS

Drew A Hall et al. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits. 2013 May.

Abstract

Magnetic nanotechnologies have shown significant potential in several areas of nanomedicine such as imaging, therapeutics, and early disease detection. Giant magnetoresistive spin-valve (GMR SV) sensors coupled with magnetic nanotags (MNTs) possess great promise as ultra-sensitive biosensors for diagnostics. We report an integrated sensor interface for an array of 256 GMR SV biosensors designed in 0.18 μm CMOS. Arranged like an imager, each of the 16 column level readout channels contains an analog front- end and a compact ΣΔ modulator (0.054 mm2) with 84 dB of dynamic range and an input referred noise of 49 nT/√Hz. Performance is demonstrated through detection of an ovarian cancer biomarker, secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI), spiked at concentrations as low as 10 fM. This system is designed as a replacement for optical protein microarrays while also providing real-time kinetics monitoring.

Keywords: GMR spin-valve; biochip; biosensor; magnetic biosensor; proteomics; sigma delta modulator.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a) Illustration of complete system using a disposable test stick and a test stick reader containing the custom designed CMOS chip. Photograph of: b) disposable test stick, c) GMR SV sensor die, and CMOS IC.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Sequence of steps for the magnetic immunoassay.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a) GMR SV structure annotated with film thicknesses and orientation of magnetizations. b) Measured transfer function of a GMR SV sensor.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a) Spectrum showing modulation scheme. b) Readout with FDM and TDM.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Architecture of GMR SV system.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
a) Schematic of the analog front-end. b) Schematic of the 7-bit R-2R ladder.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Schematic of the TIA and gain-boosters.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Schematic of the ΣΔ modulator.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Simulation results for the ΣΔ modulator, a) Transient and transient noise, b) Dynamic range curve.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
a) Die micrograph of ΣΔ modulator. b) Survey of ADCs from ISSCC and VLSI. Size of each data point indicates technology node relative to 32 nm.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Measured spectra illustrating adjacent channel isolation.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Measured spectrum showing modulation scheme and carrier suppression.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
Illustrations showing measured binding curves with and without temperature correction enabled.
Fig. 14
Fig. 14
a) Measured real-time curves for various concentrations of SLPI biomarker. Error bars represent ±1σ. b) Calibration curve compiled from (a). Error bars represent ±1σ, background is 0 pM signal plus 2σ.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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