Interfacing with Neurons at High Spatiotemporal Resolution

A CMOS-based array with 11'016 metal microelectrodes and 126 on-chip channels is presented. Each channel includes recording and stimulation electronics for bidirectional communication with electrogenic cells, such as neurons or cardiomyocytes. The new features of this chip include the possibility to perform high-spatial-resolution recordings with 3'200 electrodes per mm at cellular or subcellular resolution (electrode diameter: 7 mum, pitch: 18 mum), a great flexibility in routing the 126 channels to the 11'016 recording sites, and low noise levels, since the large front-end amplifiers are placed outside the electrode array.