Basic study to develop biosensors using surface acoustic waves

In this paper, we present a study of the bonding between piezoelectric substrates and semiconductor materials. We have studied [O. S. Wolfbesis: Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors and Biosensors, 1st ed. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1991) p. 21.] the surface state (hydrophilic) of GaAs, LiNbO₃ and quartz substrates after different treatments methods [R. Hughes, A. Ricco, M. Butler and S. Martin: Science 254 (1991) 74.], the effects of migration of water molecules out of bonding surfaces induced by microwave and laser radiation. When Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-PbTiO₃ (PMN-PT) is used as a piezoelectric material, we have evaluated if PMN-PT can be made practically available for a new surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensor detecting protein. The experimental results clarified that improvements in the bonding process are effective in obtaining a stronger bonding interface between the piezoelectric substrate and semiconductor materials. The frequency filtering of the central frequency of the PMN-PT substrate is also superior to that of the LiTaO₃ substrate, but the result was not completely satisfactory. However, the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the PMN-PT substrate is excellent, therefore it will be used as a SAW sensor, in the near future, provided that new interdigital transducer (IDT) design will also be available to increase the frequency of filtering.