Immobilization of biomolecules on semiconductor surfaces

A reproducible, stable and functional introduction of reactive groups on oxide covered silicon surfaces used in chemically sensitive field effect transistors and optical methods based on light reflection is described. Biomolecules, such as antibodies, antigens and enzymes, were covalently attached to the surface modified silicon via a thiol disulfide exchange reaction. The immobilization technique eliminates the risk of crosslinking and homopolymerization, giving monolayer coverage in close contact with the surface. The technique was used for immobilized protein A and interaction of such surfaces with immunoglobulins. The result was evaluated by in situ ellipsometry, which gives the amount of immobilized and interacting material on the surfaces.