Neuron Adhesion on a Silicon Chip Probed by an Array of Field-Effect Transistors

Rolf Weis; Bernt Müller; Peter Fromherz

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.76.327

Neuron Adhesion on a Silicon Chip Probed by an Array of Field-Effect Transistors

Rolf Weis, Bernt Müller, and Peter Fromherz

Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 327 – Published 8 January 1996

Abstract

The interaction of an individual nerve cell with a surface of oxidized silicon is studied. ac voltages from 0.1 to 5000 Hz are applied to the neuron. The resulting voltage profiles in the cleft between cell membrane and surface are recorded by an array of sixteen field-effect transistors with open metal-free gate oxide. Using methods of the cable theory to describe the contact area (diameter around 35 μm), we evaluate the width of the cleft (around 20 nm) and the conductance of the membrane, which is enhanced by an order of magnitude.

Received 5 September 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.76.327

Authors & Affiliations

Rolf Weis¹, Bernt Müller², and Peter Fromherz¹

¹Department of Biophysics, University Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany and Department of Membrane and Neurophysics, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried/München, Germany
²Institute of Microelectronics, Technical University Berlin, D-10623 Berlin, Germany