Carbonized Polymer Nanostructures for Biosensing

We have implemented carbonized nanostructures on metalized silica substrates as a step towards their integration on CMOS chips. The substrates were metallized successively with Ti and Au to provide electrical contact to the carbonized structures. Polymeric structures have been formed using 3D printing based on 2-photon polymerization. Carbonization of the polymeric structures has been achieved through a sequence of two thermal annealing steps in oxidative and inert atmospheres, respectively. Carbonization has been verified by Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy images confirm the formation of structures and their morphology on the substrate. Integration of the demonstrated carbon structures with CMOS circuitries offer great promise for electrochemical biosensors.