Light emission from electrodes under dielectrophoresis conditions

Long-Fang Tsai; Hua Gong; Kathryn L. Dallon; Brian A. Mazzeo; Gregory P. Nordin

doi:10.1117/1.JMM.15.2.025001

1 June 2016 Light emission from electrodes under dielectrophoresis conditions

Long-Fang Tsai, Hua Gong, Kathryn L. Dallon, Brian A. Mazzeo, Gregory P. Nordin

Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS, Vol. 15, Issue 2, 025001 (June 2016). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.15.2.025001

Abstract

The use of fluorescence in microfluidic optical biodetection requires materials with low-background fluorescence to avoid influencing the desired optical signal with spurious light emission. For the same reason, spurious light emission from galvanoluminescence (GL) should be avoided when fluorescence is used in dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based biosensors. Use of non-noble metal electrodes such as indium tin oxide (ITO) in DEP devices is therefore a concern. We evaluate GL in the context of conditions typical of DEP devices. We experimentally show that use of ITO can result in GL. We also show that GL can be avoided, even with metals that demonstrate strong GL such as Al, by proper selection of operating frequency, which can be determined by measuring the impedance spectrum of the DEP device. In addition, we demonstrate that GL results in broadband emission for all of the salt solutions tested. Broadband emission implies that at least some of the light will pass through typical fluorescence filters if a device exhibits GL. We also show that Ni and Cr electrodes do not exhibit GL and may therefore be suitable as low-cost DEP electrodes.

Citation Download Citation

Long-Fang Tsai, Hua Gong, Kathryn L. Dallon, Brian A. Mazzeo, and Gregory P. Nordin "Light emission from electrodes under dielectrophoresis conditions," Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS 15(2), 025001 (1 June 2016). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.15.2.025001

Published: 1 June 2016

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available