Pulse mode shear horizontal-surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) system for liquid based sensing applications》.pdf

Biosensors and Bioelectronics 19 (2004) 627–632 Pulse mode shear horizontal-surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) system for liquid based sensing applications Fabrice Martin a , Michael I. Newton a,∗, Glen McHale a , Kathryn A. Melzak b , Electra Gizelib a School of Science, The Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK b Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK Received 30 October 2002; received in revised form 27 June 2003; accepted 9 July 2003 Abstract In this work, we describe a novel pulse mode shear horizontal-surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) polymer coated biosensor that monitors rapid changes in both amplitude and phase. The SH-SAW sensors were fabricated on 36◦ rotated Y-cut X propagating lithium tantalate (36 YX.LT). The sensitivity of the device to both mass loading and visco-elastic effects may be increased by using a thin guiding layer of cross-linked polymer. Two acoustic modes are excited by the electrodes in this crystalline direction. Metallisation of the propagation path of the 36 YX.LT devices allows the two modes to be discriminated. Successive polymer coatings resulted in the observation of resonant conditions in both modes as the layer thickness was increased. Using the 36 YX.LT devices, we have investigated the application of a novel pulse mode system by sensing a sequence of deposition and removal of a biological layer consisting of vesicles of the phospholipid POPC. A continuous wave system was used to verify the accuracy of the pulse mode system by sensing a series of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) solutions. The data clearly demonstrates the ability of the 36 YX.LT pulse mode system to provide rapid measurements of both amplitude and phase fo