Integrated magnetic array for bio-object sensing and manipulation

Abstract

Magnetic molecular-level interrogation, manipulation, and diagnosis are emerging as lab-on-chip platforms. These platforms entail low-cost, low-power, portable, and high efficiency integrated implementations. We introduce an all-integrated programmable 16×16 magnetic coil array chip for sensing and actuating small single bio-objects or collaboratively manipulating larger ones. The die-size is 1.5×1.5mm2 designed in bulk 0.5μm CMOS technology. The integrated design does not require any external magnetic source. It relies on the Hall effect generated by the smallest permissible vertical coil inductors (in this reported technology, the smallest inductor's planar area is 6μmx6μm). The coil array is selectively and dynamically controlled. Each cell, composed of the coil and its logical control circuitry, can detect small objects in the order of 1μm diameter as well as emit eight programmable magnetic field levels for manipulation. All array sensing and driving components are shared to reduce the overall imprint. Also, they are tuned to work at 900MHz incorporating high-speed serial row/column switching for seamless pseudoparallel operation.