We report on the direct electrical interfacing of a semiconductor device to an individual mammalian nerve cell. The firing neuron directly controls the source-drain current of a buried channel electrolyte-oxide-silicon (EOS) field-effect transistor. The experiment demonstrates the feasibility of noninvasive monitoring of neuronal systems by semiconductor chips at the level of individual cells and lays the foundation for applications of very large scale integration technology in neuroscience ansd pharmacology.
Rat neuron on electrolyte-oxide-silicon (EOS) field-effect transistor. (a) Electronmicrograph (colorized) of hippocampal neuron on silicon chip with linear array of p-type buried channel transistors after eight days in culture. Between source and drain leads are the open voltage-sensitive gates. The surface of the chip is chemically and structurally homogeneous consisting of silica with a surface profile below 20 nm. (b) Schematic cross section of a neuron on a buried-channel field-effect transistor with blow-up (drawn to scale) of the contact area. During an action potential, current flows through the adhering cell membrane and along the resistance of the cleft between chip and cell. The resulting extracellular voltage in the cleft modulates the source-drain current.
rss
Top
Print