Immobilization of DNA on CMOS compatible materials

The main interface and interconnection materials normally used in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit processing, i.e. silicon oxides and aluminum, were evaluated with regards to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) attachment. We investigated and quantified the influence of various techniques of fabrication of the silicon oxide on DNA binding obtained by four different biochemical processes. Regarding aluminum, we found that it only binds DNA in the presence of its natural oxide and that it is severely degraded by one of the three typical biochemical processes. Optimal process conditions for DNA binding on silicon oxides with aluminum compatibility are finally derived. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.