Abstract: A semi-conductor wafer-based device that is used to suspend biological materials, such as lipid bilayers or single cells, for chemical, electrical and/or optical examination. The wafer has a t least one pore that extends therethrough. The pore is of sufficient size to suspend a lipid bilayer or a cell therein. The surface of the pore is coated with an insulating film to provide an insulating surface to which the lipid bilayer/cell is attached when the lipid bilayer/cell is suspended within the pore. The divice is used to measure the physical properties (e.g., voltage gating) of cells and lipid bilayers that contain biomolecules such as transmembrane proteins.