Substance-sensitive electrical structures

Claim 2

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to change in a dielectric constant, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium as determined by said change in said dielectric constant; and a substance-sensitive layer for separating said structure means from said test medium and for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said layer comprised of substance-sensitive photoresist material including a photoactivator.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 5, wherein said structure means comprises a semiconductor diode having a P/N junction with said substance-sensitive photoresist material separating said P/N junction from said test medium.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 5, wherein said structure means is a capacitor having at least two plates, and said substance-sensitive photoresist material is disposed between said plates, and said test medium is exposed to said material.

Claim 5

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to changes in a dielectric constant, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium indicated by said change in said dielectric constant; and a subtance-sensitive layer disposed in said test medium for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said substance, said structure being a pair of lines coupled through said substance-sensitive layer, said layer comprised of substance-sensitive photoresist material.

Claim 6

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to changes in a dielectric constant, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium indicated by said change in said dielectric constant; and a subtance-sensitive layer disposed in said test medium for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said substance, said structure being a pair of lines coupled through said substance-sensitive layer, said layer comprised of substance-sensitive photoresist material.

Claim 7

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of at least a first substance and a second substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: a first electronic structure responsive to change in a dielectric constant for indicating the concentration of said first substance in said test medium by said change in said dielectric constant; a first substance-sensitive layer for separating said first electronic structure from said test medium and for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said first substance; a second electronic structure, integral with said first electronic structure, responsive to change in a dielectric constant for indicating the concentration of said second substance in said test medium by said change in said dielectric constant; and second substance-sensitive for separating said second electronic structure from said test medium and for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said second substance, both of said substance-sensitive layers being comprised of substance-sensitive photoresist material including a photoactivator.

Claim 8

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of at least a first substance and a second substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: a first electronic structure responsive to change in a dielectric constant for indicating the concentration of said first substance in said test medium by said change in said dielectric constant; a first substance-sensitive layer for separating said first electronic structure from said test medium and for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said first substance; a second electronic structure, integral with said first electronic structure, responsive to change in a dielectric constant for indicating the concentration of said second substance in said test medium by said change in said dielectric constant; and second substance-sensitive for separating said second electronic structure from said test medium and for changing dielectric constant in response to the concentration of said second substance, both of said substance-sensitive layers being comprised of substance-sensitive photoresist material including a photoactivator.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 5, wherein said structure means comprises a field effect transistor and said substance-sensitive layer is disposed on said field effect transistor.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 6, wherein said field effect transistor comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a pair of spaced-apart diffusion regions on said semiconductor substrate; a blocking layer covering said substrate and spaced-apart diffusion regions; a layer of substance-sensitive photo-resist material on said blocking layer; and a reference electrode coupled to one of said diffusion regions, said subtance-sensitive layer separating said blocking layer from said test medium and said reference electrode disposed in said test medium.

Claim 11

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: means for changing dielectric constant in response to changes in concentration of said substance in said test medium; and means, responsive to changes in said dielectric constant, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said indicating means including means for detecting the effect of said changes in dielectric constant on a time varying electrical signal.

Claim 12

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: means for changing dielectric constant in response to changes in concentration of said substance in said test medium; and means, responsive to changes in said dielectric constant, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said indicating means including means for detecting the effect of said changes in dielectric constant on a time varying electrical signal.

Claim 13

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to specific changes, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium as determined by said specific changes; and a substance-sensitive layer for separating said structure means from said test medium and for specifically changing in response to the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said layer comprised of a photoresist material including a photoactivator and a substance-sensitive material.

Claim 14

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to specific changes, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium as determined by said specific changes; and a substance-sensitive layer for separating said structure means from said test medium and for specifically changing in response to the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said layer comprised of a photoresist material including a photoactivator and a substance-sensitive material.

Claim 15

The structure of claim 9, wherein said structure means comprises a semiconductor diode having a P/N junction with said layer separating said P/N junction from said test medium.

Claim 16

The structure of claim 9, wherein said structure means is a capacitor having at least two plates and said layer is disposed between said plates, and said test medium is exposed to said material.

Claim 17

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to specific changes, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium indicated by said specific changes; and a substnace-sensitive layer disposed in said test medium for specifically changing in response to the concentration of said substance, said structure means being comprised of a pair of lines coupled through said substance-sensitive layer, said layer comprised of a photoresist material including a sensitizer and a substance-sensitive material.

Claim 18

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to specific changes, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium indicated by said specific changes; and a substnace-sensitive layer disposed in said test medium for specifically changing in response to the concentration of said substance, said structure means being comprised of a pair of lines coupled through said substance-sensitive layer, said layer comprised of a photoresist material including a sensitizer and a substance-sensitive material.

Claim 19

The structure of claim 9, wherein said structure means comprises a field-effect transistor and said substance-sensitive layer is disposed on said field-effect transistor.

Claim 20

The structure of claim 13, wherein said field-effect transistor comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a pair of spaced-apart diffusion regions on said semiconductor subtrate; a blocking layer covering said substrate and spaced-apart diffusion regions; and a reference electrode coupled to one of said diffusion regions, said substance-sensitive layer separating said blocking layer from said test medium and said reference electrode disposed in said test medium.

Claim 21

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to a substance-sensitive photoresist layer including a photoactivator, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium as determined by changes in said substance-sensitive photoresist layer; and a substance-sensitive photoresist layer for separating said structure means from said test medium and for changing in response to the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said layer further including a substance-sensitive material and said layer further comprising the sole means for bonding said substance-sensitive material to said structure means.

Claim 22

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to a substance-sensitive photoresist layer including a photoactivator, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium as determined by changes in said substance-sensitive photoresist layer; and a substance-sensitive photoresist layer for separating said structure means from said test medium and for changing in response to the concentration of said substance in said test medium, said layer further including a substance-sensitive material and said layer further comprising the sole means for bonding said substance-sensitive material to said structure means.

Claim 23

The structure of claim 19, wherein said structure means comprises a semiconductor diode having a P/N junction with said substance-sensitive photoresist material separating said P/N junction from said test medium.

Claim 24

The structure of claim 19, wherein said structure means is a capacitor having at least two plates and said substance-sensitive photoresist material is disposed between said plates, and said test medium is exposed to said substance-sensitive photoresist material.

Claim 25

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to changes in a substance-sensitive photoresist layer, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium; and a substance-sensitive layer disposed in said test medium and responsive to the concentration of said substance, said structure means comprising a pair of lines coupled through said substance-sensitive layer, said substance-sensitive layer including a substance-sensitive material and further comprising the sole means for bonding said substance-sensitive material to said structure means.

Claim 26

A substance-sensitive structure for sensing the presence and/or concentration of a substance in a test medium, said structure comprising: structure means, responsive to changes in a substance-sensitive photoresist layer, for indicating the concentration of said substance in said test medium; and a substance-sensitive layer disposed in said test medium and responsive to the concentration of said substance, said structure means comprising a pair of lines coupled through said substance-sensitive layer, said substance-sensitive layer including a substance-sensitive material and further comprising the sole means for bonding said substance-sensitive material to said structure means.

Claim 27

The structure of claim 19, wherein said structure means comprises a field-effect transistor and said substance-sensitive layer is disposed on said field-effect transistor.

Claim 28

The structure of claim 23, wherein said field-effect transistor comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a pair of spaced-apart diffusion regions on said semiconductor substrate; a blocking layer covering said substrate and spaced-apart diffusion regions; and a reference electrode coupled to one of said diffusion regions, said substance-sensitive layer separating said blocking layer from said test medium and said reference electrode disposed in said test medium.