Biodetection of DNA and proteins using enhanced UV absorption by structuration of the chip surface

DNA and protein absorption at 260 and 280 nm can be used to reveal theses species on a biochip UV image. A first study including the design and fabrication of UV reflective multilayer biochips designed for UV contrast enhancement (factor of 4.0) together with spectrally selective AlGaN detectors demonstrated the control of chip biological coating, or Antigen/Antibody complexation with fairly good signals for typical probe density of 4x1012 molecules/cm2. Detection of fractional monolayer molecular binding requires a higher contrast enhancement which can be obtained with structured chips. Grating structures enable, at resonance, a confinement of light at the biochip surface, and thus a large interaction between the biological molecule and the lightwave field. The highest sensitivity obtained with grating-based biochip usually concerns a resonance shift, in wavelength or diffraction angle. Diffraction efficiency is also affected by UV absorption, due to enhanced light-matter interaction, and this mechanism is equally able to produce biochip images in parallel. By adjusting grating parameters, we will see how a biochip that is highly sensitive to UV absorption at its surface can be obtained. Based on the Ewald construction and diffraction diagram, instrumental resolution and smarter experimental configurations are considered. Notably, in conjunction with the 2D UV-sensitive detectors recently developed in-house, we discuss the obtainment of large contrast and good signals in a diffraction order emerging around the sample normal.