Abstract: A sensor senses a magnitude of a physical parameter of the sensor's environment. The sensor has first and second electrodes, and a material layer between them. The material has an electrical property, e.g., capacitance or resistance, whose value depends on the magnitude of the physical parameter. The first electrode is formed in a first layer, and the second electrode is formed in a second layer, different from the first layer. The first layer has a trench and an elevation next to the trench. The trench has a bottom wall and a side wall. The material is positioned on the bottom wall and on the side wall and on top of the elevation. The trench accommodates at least a part of the second electrode. The second electrode leaves exposed the material formed on top of the elevation.

Abstract: A sensor senses a characteristic of an environment, e.g., humidity. The sensor has a substrate with strips of material that is sensitive to corrosion as a result of the characteristic. The strips are configured to respond differently to the characteristic. By means of repeatedly measuring the resistances of the strips, the environment can be monitored in terms of accumulated exposure to the characteristic. The strips are manufactured in a semiconductor technology so as to generate accurate sensors that behave predictably.

Abstract: A detector device and method of its fabrication are disclosed. Illustratively, an additional via is present through an insulator layer over a gate channel region which is on top of the channel region. The additional via is filled with conductor material. The conductor material is removed to form a chamber leading to one side of the gate channel region. Furthermore, a nanopore is etched from the chamber through the channel region.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate (10) carrying plurality of circuit elements (20); a plurality of sensing electrodes (34) over said substrate, each sensing electrode being electrically connected to at least one of said circuit elements; and a plurality of wells (50) for receiving a sample, each sensing electrode defining the bottom of one of said wells, wherein each sensing electrode comprises at least one portion (34?) extending upwardly into said well. A method of manufacturing such an IC is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate (10) carrying plurality of circuit elements (20); a metallization stack (30) over said substrate for providing interconnections to at least some of said circuit elements, the metallization stack comprising a plurality of patterned metal layers (31) spatially separated from each other by respective electrically insulating layers (32), at least some of said electrically insulating layers comprising conductive portions (33) that electrically interconnect portions of adjacent metal layers, wherein at least one of the patterned metallization layers comprises a plurality of ion-sensitive electrodes (34), each ion-sensitive electrode being electrically connected to at least one of said circuit elements, a plurality of sample volumes (50) extending into said metallization stack, each sample volume terminating at one of said ion-sensitive electrodes; and an ion-sensitive layer lining at least the ion-sensitive electrodes in said sample volumes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pH sensor comprising a carrier (10) comprising a plurality of conductive tracks and an exposed conductive area (40) defining a reference electrode connected to one of said conductive tracks; a sensing device (30) mounted on the carrier and connected at least one other of said conductive tracks; an encapsulation (20) covering the carrier, said encapsulation comprising a first cavity (22) exposing a surface (32) of the sensing device and a second cavity (24) exposing the exposed conductive area, said second cavity comprising a reference electrode material (42) and an ion reservoir material (44) sharing at least one ion type with said reference electrode material, the reference electrode material being sandwiched between the exposed conductive area and the ion reservoir material. A method of manufacturing such a pH sensor is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate (10) carrying a plurality of circuit elements; a metallization stack (12, 14, 16) interconnecting said circuit elements, said metallization stack comprising a patterned upper metallization layer comprising a first metal portion (20) and a second metal portion (21); a passivation stack (24, 26, 28) covering the metallization stack; a gas sensor including a sensing material portion (32, 74) on the passivation stack; a first conductive portion (38) extending through the passivation stack connecting a first region of the sensing material portion to the first metal portion; and a second conductive portion (40) extending through the passivation stack connecting a second region of the sensing material portion to the second metal portion. A method of manufacturing such an IC is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate (10) carrying a plurality of circuit elements; a metallization stack (12, 14, 16) interconnecting said circuit elements, said metallization stack comprising a patterned upper metallization layer comprising a first metal portion (20) and a second metal portion (21); a passivation stack (24, 26, 28) covering the metallization stack; a gas sensor including a sensing material portion (32, 74) on the passivation stack; a first conductive portion (38) extending through the passivation stack connecting a first region of the sensing material portion to the first metal portion; and a second conductive portion (40) extending through the passivation stack connecting a second region of the sensing material portion to the second metal portion. A method of manufacturing such an IC is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrochemical sensor integrated on a substrate, the electrochemical sensor comprising: a field effect transistor integrated on the substrate and having a source, gate and drain connections, said gate of the field effect transistor comprising: a sensing gate conductively coupled to a sensing electrode; and a bias gate, wherein the sensing gate is capacitively coupled to the bias gate and the bias gate is capacitively coupled to the substrate.

Abstract: A sensor (2) for sensing a first substance and a second substance, the sensor comprising first (3) and second (5) sensor components each comprising a first material (20), the first material being sensitive to both the first substance and the second substance, the sensor further comprising a barrier (18) for preventing the second substance from passing into the second sensor component (5).

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid immersion sensor comprising a substrate (10) carrying a conductive sensing element (20) and a corrosive agent (30) for corroding the conductive sensing element, said corrosive agent being immobilized in the vicinity of the conductive sensing element and being soluble in said liquid.

Abstract: A sensor module (130) for a catheter (110), the sensor module (130) comprising a biofilm detection unit (131) adapted for detecting a characteristic of a biofilm (132) and electric circuitry (135, 800) for providing an output signal indicative of a result of the detection.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit having a substrate comprising a plurality of components and a metallization stack over the components, the metallization stack comprising a first sensing element and a second sensing element adjacent to the first sensing element.

Abstract: A sensor, electrically connected to transponder, is calibrated in an environment of operational use of the transponder. The calibrating uses as a reference a value of a parameter representative of the environment.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising an electrode arrangement for detecting the presence of a liquid, said electrode arrangement comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein, prior to exposure of the electrode arrangement to said liquid, a surface of at least one of the first electrode and second electrode is at least partially covered by a compound that is soluble in the liquid; the electrical properties of the electrode arrangement being dependent on the amount of the compound covering said surface. An package and electronic device comprising such an IC and a method of manufacturing such an IC are also disclosed.

Abstract: A container for containing a perishable substance has a container wall with an inner side and an outer side. The wall has an electrically conductive layer extending between the inner side and the outer side. The inner side faces the space containing the substance. The container comprises electronic circuitry having a sensor for sensing a physical property or condition of the substance, and an antenna for communicating an RF signal to a receiver, external to the container. The RF signal is indicative of the physical property or condition sensed. The sensor is positioned so as to be exposed to the space containing the substance in operational use of the container. The antenna is positioned at the outer side, or between the outer side and the electrically conductive layer, and is electrically isolated from the electrically conductive layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining a charged particle concentration in an analyte (100), the method comprising steps of: i) determining at least two measurement points of a surface-potential versus interface-temperature curve (c1, c2, c3, c4), wherein the interface temperature is defined as a temperature of the interface between a measurement electrode and the analyte (100), wherein the surface-potential is defined at the interface, and ii) calculating the charged particle concentration from locations of the at least two measurement points of said curve (c1, c2, c3, c4).This method, which still is a potentiometric electrochemical measurement, exploits the temperature dependency of a surface-potential of a measurement electrode. The invention further provides an electrochemical sensor and electrochemical sensor system for determining a charged particle concentration in an analyte. The invention also provides various sensors which can be used to determine the charged particle concentration, i.e.

Abstract: A biocompatible electrode is manufactured by depositing filling metal 36 and etching back the filling metal to the surface of the surrounding insulator 30. Then, a further etch forms a recess 38 at the top of the via 32. An electrode metal 40 is then deposited and etched back to fill the recess 38 and form biocompatible electrode 42. In this way, a planar biocompatible electrode is achieved. The step of etching to form the recess may be carried out in the same CMP tool as is used to etch back the filling metal 36. A hydrogen peroxide etch may be used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining a charged particle concentration in an analyte (100), the method comprising steps of: i) determining at least two measurement points of a surface-potential versus interface-temperature curve (c1, c2, c3, c4), wherein the interface temperature is obtained from a temperature difference between a first interface between a first ion-sensitive dielectric (Fsd) and the analyte (100) and a second interface between a second ion-sensitive dielectric (Ssd) and the analyte (100), and wherein the surface-potential is obtained from a potential difference between a first electrode (Fe) and a second electrode (Se) onto which said first ion-sensitive dielectric (Fsd) and said second ion-sensitive dielectric (Ssd) are respectively provided, And ii) calculating the charged particle concentration from locations of the at least two measurement points of said curve (c1, c2, c3, c4).

Abstract: A sensor senses a magnitude of a physical parameter of the sensor's environment. The sensor has first and second electrodes, and a material layer between them. The material has an electrical property, e.g., capacitance or resistance, whose value depends on the magnitude of the physical parameter. The first electrode is formed in a first layer, and the second electrode is formed in a second layer, different from the first layer. The first layer has a trench and an elevation next to the trench. The trench has a bottom wall and a side wall. The material is positioned on the bottom wall and on the side wall and on top of the elevation. The trench accommodates at least a part of the second electrode. The second electrode leaves exposed the material formed on top of the elevation.